佑 (yòu) is a Chinese character meaning “to bless and protect (especially of heaven, gods or”. It is written from 亻 (person (the form 人 takes on the left)) and 右 (right (hand side); the right hand), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “to bless and protect”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
亻 + 右
Left–right structure
- 亻 person (the form 人 takes on the left) · rén meaning
- 右 right (hand side); the right hand · yòu sound
Structure from: structure-split@stroke-verified (⿰亻右：亻2画 + 右5画 = 7画，与 hanzi-writer-data 佑 笔画数一致)
Memory aid
A person (亻) standing at your right (右) hand, ready to step in for you — that is 佑, to protect and bless. Both parts are really in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 保佑bǎo yòuto bless and protect佑 = yòu
Go deeper
All readings
to bless and protect
to bless and protect (especially of heaven, gods or ancestors); to give divine help
保护；帮助。多指天、神明或祖先给予的护持。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 保佑bǎo yòuto bless and protect佑 = yòu
Sound component
右 family exact
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 佑 mean?
佑 (yòu) means to bless and protect (especially of heaven, gods or ancestors); to give divine help.
How do you pronounce 佑?
It is pronounced yòu.
What parts is 佑 made of?
亻 (person (the form 人 takes on the left)) and 右 (right (hand side); the right hand), side by side. The recorded source is: structure-split@stroke-verified (⿰亻右：亻2画 + 右5画 = 7画，与 hanzi-writer-data 佑 笔画数一致). Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 佑 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 佑?
人. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 佑?
Common ones are 保佑. The reading of 佑 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.