How to Write 虞 (yú) — Meaning “To worry; to foresee; name of a dynasty.”

Picture a tiger (虍) nervously dancing at a party — the dance (吴 sounds like "woo") makes it worry (虞) about tripping. This silly image ties the tiger radical to the idea of worry. It helps you recall both the shape and the meaning.

The tiger radical 虍 must be written with a wide horizontal stroke at the bottom to properly cover the 吴 below. A common mistake is making the 虍 too small or the 吴 too wide, which throws off balance. Follow the stroke order: first the tiger radical (6 strokes), then 口 (3 strokes), then 天 (4 strokes) for a total of 13 strokes.

Visually, 虞 has 吴 at the bottom, while 虖 has 乎 and 虘 has 且. In meaning, 虞 means "to worry" or a dynasty name, 虖 is an ancient word for "to shout", and 虘 means "to gnaw". These similar characters are very rare in modern Chinese, whereas 虞 still appears in historical names and idioms.

虞 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, but it appears in the flower name 虞美人 (corn poppy), the historical figure 虞姬 (Consort Yu), and the idiom 尔虞我诈 (each trying to outwit the other). It also refers to the legendary Yu dynasty, so you may encounter it in classical literature or cultural contexts.

Common words containing 虞 include: 虞美人 (yú měi rén) — Corn poppy; 虞姬 (yú jī) — Consort Yu (a historical figure).; 尔虞我诈 (ěr yú wǒ zhà) — Mutual deception; each trying to outwit the other.