How to Write 驭 (yù) — Meaning “To drive; to control”

Imagine a horse (马) and a hand (又) holding the reins to guide it. The hand shape 又 looks like it is gripping the reins, so you can remember that 驭 means "to drive" or "to control." This visual of hand-on-horse makes the meaning stick.

Write the left radical 马 first with three strokes: horizontal, vertical, then a horizontal fold with a hook. Then add the right component 又 with two strokes: a left-falling stroke and a right-falling stroke. A common mistake is forgetting the hook at the bottom of 马 or making the 又 too large—keep it balanced and slightly smaller than the left side.

驭 (yù) means to drive or control, while 马 (mǎ) is just the horse radical and not a standalone word for "drive." 驮 (tuó) means to carry on the back, with the right component 大 (big) instead of 又. Visually, 驭 has a hand on the right, 驮 has a "big" element; use 驭 for driving or mastering, not for carrying.

驭 appears in formal or literary compounds like 驾驭 (jià yù), meaning "to drive a vehicle" or "to master a skill." You might see 驾驭 used for driving a car or controlling a situation, but the single character 驭 is rare alone. Culturally, it reflects ancient Chinese chariot driving, symbolizing skillful control and mastery.

Common words containing 驭 include: 驾驭 (jià yù) — to drive; to control; to master; 驭手 (yù shǒu) — Driver; coachman; 驭使 (yù shǐ) — To drive; to order about.