Definitions

yóu to plan; to scheme

Etymology phono-semantic

dog

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

combines (historically a wine vessel, later extended to mean a tribal chief) and (dog). The reasoning behind this pairing is obscure. The character expresses abstract concepts like a grand plan, strategic scheme, or significant undertaking. In classical Chinese, it appeared prominently in political and philosophical works to denote the wise strategies, doctrines, and administrative blueprints of rulers and sages. As the language shifted toward modern vernacular, became largely confined to formal, literary, or archaic contexts, surviving mainly in set idioms or historical discussions of statecraft.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern