How to Write 揄 (yú) — Meaning “To pull out or praise”

Imagine a hand (扌) pulling a person's sleeve to get their attention, and at the same time saying "You're great!" — the sound "yú" reminds you of "you" in English. This combines the pulling and praising meanings into one visual scene.

Write the left radical 扌 first with a straight vertical stroke, then the right part 俞, which has a narrow top and a wider bottom. A common mistake is making the right side too large or misbalancing it with the hand radical, so keep the whole character evenly centered.

揄 has the right component 俞, while 挨 has 矣 and 挫 has 坐. In meaning, 揄 relates to pulling or praising, 挨 means to lean on or endure, and 挫 means to defeat or twist. Visually, the right parts are distinct: 俞 has a vertical stroke through the top, 矣 has a top like a sitting person, and 挫 has a bottom like 坐.

揄 is not common alone; it mainly appears in words like 揶揄 (yé yú, to mock or tease) and 揄扬 (yú yáng, to praise emphatically). These are used in formal or literary contexts, so you are more likely to see them in writing than in everyday speech.

Common words containing 揄 include: 揶揄 (yé yú) — to mock; to tease; 揄扬 (yú yáng) — To praise or extol; 牵揄 (qiān yú) — To pull / To drag.