黝 (yǒu) · dark; deep black

Meanings

1 dark; deep black
2 tanned dark (of skin); swarthy

Characters

黝

yǒu

deep dark; tanned

Examples

HSK 6

树林里一片黝黑，看不清前面的路。

Shùlín lǐ yípiàn yǒuhēi, kàn bù qīng qiánmiàn de lù.

The forest was densely dark and impossible to see through.

HSK 7-9

多年下田劳作，他的皮肤晒得黝黑。

Duōnián xiàtián láozuò, tā de pífū shài de yǒuhēi.

Years working in the fields turned his skin a deep tan.

HSK 7-9

黝亮的黑漆是明式家具的特征之一。

Yǒu liàng de hēiqī shì Míngshì jiājù de tèzhēng zhīyī.

Glossy dark lacquer is a hallmark of Ming-style furniture.

Tips

usage

The everyday compound is 黝黑 (deep dark / sun-tanned dark) - the only place most learners will meet 黝. It typically describes either (1) a deeply tanned, weathered complexion (皮肤黝黑), often with positive connotations of healthy outdoor labour; or (2) physical darkness - deep night, dense forest, a glossy black object. Avoid using 黝黑 of a person's natural skin tone in a way that sounds judgemental - it's neutral-to-positive when describing weathered toughness, but can read as rude in other contexts.

memory

Left 黑 (black) + right 幼 (young - supplying the sound yòu to yǒu) = a tone of black, namely 'deep' or 'tanned' black. The young element is purely phonetic; the whole semantic work is done by 黑.

Components

radical

黑 hēi

black

Left black radical (Kangxi #203). The semantic anchor: 黝 is a specific shade of black. Same radical family: 黯 (gloomy black), 黛 (eyebrow black), 黧 (dark-yellow).

phonetic

幼 yòu

young

Right phonetic 幼 - supplies the sound (yòu to yǒu, regular tone shift). The 'young' meaning doesn't contribute semantically; 幼 is here purely as a sound-bearer. The same phonetic also anchors 拗 (twist).