禹
Yu (emperor)
At a glance · 禹
Evolution of the glyph
Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.
Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE
⚠ Some ancient forms are not attested：oracle bone form、seal script form。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.
甲骨文、金文象虫形（或说象人治水之形），本为虫名，后专用为夏禹之名。隶楷作「禹」。
What the sketch shows
Origins & notes
「禹」本指虫，后专指治水的夏代君主大禹。
Structure
象形字，象虫形；后专用为人名（大禹）。
At a glance
Pinyinyǔ
Radical丿
Strokes9
UnicodeU+79B9
Character type象形
Theme人伦
Six languages, one character
Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.
English
Yu (emperor)
Yu the Great, legendary Xia ruler; a worm.
Français
Yu (empereur)
Yu le Grand, souverain légendaire; un ver.
Español
Yu (emperador)
Yu el Grande, gobernante legendario; un gusano.
العربية
يو (إمبراطور)
يو العظيم حاكم شيا الأسطوري؛ دودة.
Русский
Юй (правитель)
Юй Великий, легендарный правитель Ся; червь.
Common words
- 禹yǔYu the Great
- 大禹dà yǔYu