How to Write 俞 (yú) — Meaning “Yu (a surname); consent”

Imagine a person (人) standing on a boat (余 can resemble a boat-like shape) and saying 'Yup, you may board!' — that's consent. The sound 'yú' matches the start of 'you' to help remember the meaning.

The top part '人' should be written with wide, balanced strokes covering the lower component. The lower part '余' has a horizontal stroke under the first person component; ensure the left and right sides are symmetrical. A common mistake is making the upper '人' too narrow or tilting the lower '余' off-center.

俞 (yú) has the '人' radical on top and means 'consent' or is a surname. 余 (yú) has no '人' on top, meaning 'I' or 'surplus'. 佘 (shé) looks like 余 but with a slightly different top stroke, and is a different surname. Pay attention to the top radical: only 俞 has the person radical on top.

俞 is primarily used as a surname (e.g., 俞先生 Mr. Yu) and appears in formal terms like 俞允 meaning 'to grant permission' in classical or official language. It is not common in everyday HSK vocabulary but can be seen in historical texts or family names.

Common words containing 俞 include: 俞先生 (yú xiān shēng) — Mr. Yu; 俞氏 (yú shì) — the Yu family; the Yu clan; 俞允 (yú yǔn) — grant; permit; consent (formal).