How to Write 优 (yōu) — Meaning “Excellent; superior.”

Imagine a person (亻) who is especially "excellent" because they have a long and special tail (like the curved stroke in 尤). This visual of a person with a proud, standout tail helps you recall that 优 means superior or outstanding.

Write the left radical 亻 first (two strokes: left-slanting stroke and vertical stroke), then the right part 尤 (three strokes: horizontal, left-slanting curve, and small hook). A common mistake is making the curved stroke on the right too straight or forgetting the small hook at the end, which changes the character's balance.

优 (yōu) means "excellent" and has the right component 尤, while 什 (shén/shí) means "what" or "ten" and has 十 on the right, and 仁 (rén) means "benevolence" and has 二 on the right. Visually, the right side of 优 has a curved stroke and hook, unlike the straight strokes in 什 and 仁.

优 appears in words like 优点 (advantage), 优秀 (outstanding), and 优先 (priority). It is often used in evaluations, such as praising someone's work or describing a product's superior quality, and carries a positive cultural connotation of excellence and preference.

Common words containing 优 include: 优点 (yōu diǎn) — Advantage; strength; merit.; 优秀 (yōu xiù) — Excellent; outstanding.; 优先 (yōu xiān) — Priority; to give preference to..