Hanzi Writer

How to Write 御 (yù) — Meaning “To drive; to manage; imperial; to resist.”

yù HSK Level 7 12 strokes Radical: 彳

御 (yù) means "To drive; to manage; imperial; to resist." in Chinese. It has 12 strokes with the radical 彳, and is HSK Level 7.

Rated 4.2/5 in difficulty (advanced).

Harder than 55% of HSK Level 7 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 御寒 (yù hán), 防御 (fáng yù), 御用 (yù yòng).

Due to its 12 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 御 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 御 - yù

Practice Writing 御 (yù)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 御 with real-time feedback.

App Store ▶ Google Play

How to Write 御

The character 御 (yù) is written with 12 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 彳 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does yù (御) Mean in Chinese?

御 means To drive; to manage; imperial; to resist..

As an HSK Level 7 character, 御 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character御
Pinyinyù (yu)
MeaningTo drive; to manage; imperial; to resist.
Strokes12
Radical彳
HSK Level7
Difficulty4.2/5

Origin of 御

御 originally showed a hand holding a whip (攵) and a foot (止) on a road (彳), depicting the act of driving a chariot. Over time, the hand became 午 (a pestle) and a kneeling person (卩) was added, but the core meaning of controlling a vehicle or managing remains. The component 彳 emphasizes movement, while 止 and 卩 together suggest the driver's posture and control.

💡 Memory Tip: Imagine a driver (彳) stepping (止) on the pedal while cracking a whip (午) over a kneeling servant (卩)—that's how you drive an imperial chariot with authority.

Common Words with 御

御寒 yù hán
To keep out the cold.
防御 fáng yù
Defense or to defend.
御用 yù yòng
For imperial use; for the exclusive use of.

Example Sentences

这件大衣很御寒。

zhè jiàn dà yī hěn yù hán

This coat is very good at keeping out the cold.

这种防御很有用。

zhè zhǒng fáng yù hěn yǒu yòng

This defense is very useful.

这是他的御用笔。

zhè shì tā de yù yòng bǐ

This is his exclusive pen.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
御 (current) yù 12 彳
徐 xú 10 彳
徒 tú 10 彳
徕 lái 10 彳
Stroke order practice for 御 - yù

Practice Writing 御 (yù)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 御 with real-time feedback.

✨ Animated stroke order · Handwriting recognition · HSK-graded practice · Free to use

App Store ▶ Google Play

Frequently Asked Questions about 御

御 is made of three parts: the left radical 彳 (suggesting movement or walking), the upper right 止 (meaning stop), and the lower right 㐄 (shaped like a whip). Together they create the idea of controlling or directing movement, which connects to meanings like "to drive" and "to manage."

More HSK Level 7 Characters

伯bó呵hē哎āi哀āi唉āi/ài癌ái艾ài/yì滋zī抚fǔ逸yì昂áng凹āo/wā熬āo/áo奥ào卦guà扒bā/pá芭bā蕾lěi柄bǐng靶bǎ

Characters with Radical 彳

彳chì彷páng彸zhōng役yì彻chè彼bǐ往wǎng征zhēng徂cú径jìng

Other 12-Stroke Characters

亵xiè傅fù傈lì傍bàng傕jué傚xiào傣dǎi傥tǎng傧bīn储chǔ