与 (yǔ) is a Chinese character meaning “and”. It is written from 一 (one) and ㇉ and 一 (one), and takes 3 strokes. It has a second reading, yù, which turns up in 参与 — here the two readings are two separate things to learn, not one card with two answers.
Build the character for “and; with”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
一 + ㇉ + 一
Top–middle–bottom structure
Structure from: Unicode U+4E0E and hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 three-stroke modern glyph inspection
Memory aid
A bent hook (㇉) links one horizontal stroke (一) above with another (一) below: 与 means “and” or “with.”
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
3 strokes
In real words
- 与其yǔ qírather than与 = yǔ
- 与众不同yǔ zhòng bù tóngdifferent from the rest与 = yǔ
Go deeper
All readings
and; with
and; with; together with; to give
表示和、跟、同；也可表示给予。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 与其yǔ qírather than与 = yǔ
- 与众不同yǔ zhòng bù tóngdifferent from the rest与 = yǔ
participate
to take part in; to participate
参加；参与。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 参与cān yùto participate与 = yù
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 与 mean?
与 (yǔ) means and; with; together with; to give.
How do you pronounce 与?
Its main reading is yǔ. It also has a second reading, yù, which only shows up in certain words such as 参与 — so the word tells you the reading, not the character on its own.
Why is 与 sometimes pronounced yù?
Because it is a multi-reading character: each reading carries a different sense, and the word decides which one applies. In 参与 it is read yù.
What parts is 与 made of?
一 (one) and ㇉ and 一 (one). The recorded source is: Unicode U+4E0E and hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 three-stroke modern glyph inspection. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 与 have?
3. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 与?
一. 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 与?
Common ones are 与其 and 与众不同. The reading of 与 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.