HanziGuru.驭 · yù
驭
yù[yu4]Tone 4

to drive, to manage, to control

HSK 7
View Traditional FormSwitch to Traditional
馭
Guru Deep Dive

English · to drive, to manage, to control

Cached lesson
1 / 1
Topology:Left-right
Strokes:7
Writing Balance Rule: The left side (马) should be slightly narrower to give ample room for the right side component (又) to extend smoothly.
Simplification Logic: The simplified version 驭 streamlines the traditional 馭 by replacing the complex right-side phonetic/semantic cluster with the simpler component 又.
1. Meaning

to drive (a chariot or horse), to control, to manage

to rideto govern or rule
VerbLiteraryBound morpheme#action#control#transportation
Sample Usage
  • 驾驭
    jiàyù
    to ride, to command, to master
  • 驭风
    yù fēng
    to ride the wind
2. Sound
/[y³⁵]/Tone: 35
驭
yùyu4
++
`(51)
=yù
Build the syllable
Step-by-step blending
yu
Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "u" per main-vowel priority (a > e > o; in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).
Initial Consonant
y
Type: Glide (y)
Sounds like: Glide (y)
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Acts as a bridge into 'i' or 'ü' vowel sounds.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Raise middle of tongue toward hard palate, gliding effortlessly into vowel.
Final Rhyme
u
Vowel Group: -v vowel group
Sounds like: ü rhymes with the rounded French 'u' or German 'ü'
Note: Written as 'u', pronounced as rounded 'ü' [y].
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'ü'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T4 (51)
4th Tone (High-Falling)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and plunges straight down, exactly like shouting a sharp, abrupt 'No!' in English.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing the rounded vowel 'yu' with the unrounded 'i' or standard 'u' sounds.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: A rising hand gesture starting from your chest and sweeping upward and outward to the right, matching a questioning 'What?' in English.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 7 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left side (马) should be slightly narrower to give ample room for the right side component (又) to extend smoothly.

Simplification Logic: The simplified version 驭 streamlines the traditional 馭 by replacing the complex right-side phonetic/semantic cluster with the simpler component 又.

4. Components

Radical 马 · Horse Radical (horse, livestock)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 马 (indicates horses, driving, or riding animals)

The character combines the horse radical (马) on the left, representing the animal being ridden, with the right hand component (又), representing human control and guidance over the beast.

  • 马 horse (semantic base for riding/driving)
  • 又 hand (representing control)
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally depicted a hand (又) holding reins to guide a horse (马), symbolizing the ancient art of chariot driving and animal management.

Semantic Evolution: From the physical act of driving horses and chariots, the meaning expanded metaphorically to controlling horses, managing subordinates, and mastering skills or languages.

  • Chariot driving was one of the Six Arts (六艺) required of ancient Chinese gentlemen.
  • The traditional form 馭 vividly preserves the pictographic elements of ancient harness gear.
6. Sinosphere
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: ギョ / Kun: ぎょ.する
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
어
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

Picture a wild horse (马) brought under total control the moment a rider's hand (又) takes the reins, shouting 'Yù!' to command it to gallop or halt.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
又
yòuagain, alsoPhonetic Core (声旁)
馭
+ 馬 (horse)
Explore this family →
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
御(yù)
御 is the more common full variant/standard form used in modern compounds like 防御 (defense), featuring a middle seal element instead of just 又.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
我们要学会如何[___]自己的情绪。
Clue: yù
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing it with the more common standalone character 御 (yù) or forgetting that 驭 is typically found in compound words like 驾驭.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: What does the character 驭 mean, and what are its core semantic components?
Production: How do you write the character for 'to drive/control' that combines a horse and a hand?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

Search theme
Accent preference

Results are live YouTube search — accents and levels aren't verified.

驭yùto drive, to manage, to control
Speed:
Searching YouTube for native pronunciation videos...
0 / 0
Watch on YouTubeMore Results on YouTube