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遇 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
surname YuHSK 4, v, 12 strokes, radical 辶, rank #3188, Medium
to meetHSK 4, v, 12 strokes, radical 辶, rank #3188, Medium
to encounterHSK 4, v, 12 strokes, radical 辶, rank #3188, Medium
to treatHSK 4, v, 12 strokes, radical 辶, rank #3188, Medium
to receiveHSK 4, v, 12 strokes, radical 辶, rank #3188, Medium
opportunityHSK 4, v, 12 strokes, radical 辶, rank #3188, Medium
chanceHSK 4, v, 12 strokes, radical 辶, rank #3188, Medium
to meet, to encounter, to come acrossHSK 4, v, 12 strokes, radical 辶, rank #3188, Medium
(Yu4) T4
  1. 1to meet
  2. 2to encounter
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
(Yu4)

The character 遇 (yù) primarily means 'to meet' or 'to encounter.' It is commonly used in contexts where one comes across someone or something unexpectedly, or in the sense of having a chance encounter. This character can also imply the idea of receiving or treating someone in a particular way, emphasizing interpersonal interactions.

Strokes12RadicalFrequency#3188DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, encountering someone unexpectedly can symbolize fate or destiny, often seen in stories and proverbs. For example, the concept of '缘分' (yuánfèn) relates to the idea of predestined relationships, where meeting someone can change one's life.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person standing at a crossroads (the character's radical '辶' represents movement) and suddenly running into an old friend. The '遇' looks like a person ('𠂇') meeting another ('遇') at a chance moment, helping you remember both its meaning of 'meeting' and its pronunciation 'yù.'

Meanings of 遇

(Yu4)
1to meet
2to encounter
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 遇

Simplified
12Strokes
Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#3188Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L4IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1

Podcast: 遇

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AI Study Notes for 遇

Quick Contrast

遭 (zāo) - use 遇 (yù) for a more neutral or positive encounter, while 遭 (zāo) conveys a negative or unfortunate experience.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a person standing at a crossroads (the character's radical '辶' represents movement) and suddenly running into an old friend. The '遇' looks like a person ('𠂇') meeting another ('遇') at a chance moment, helping you remember both its meaning of 'meeting' and its pronunciation 'yù.'

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tone when pronouncing '遇,' as it is pronounced with a falling tone (4th tone) in Mandarin. It often appears in phrases such as '遇到' (to encounter) and '相遇' (to meet each other). Avoid using it in overly formal contexts, as it is more suited to everyday conversations.

HSK Study Tips

Although 遇 is not specifically listed in the HSK levels, it is essential for learners at HSK 3 and above, where encountering new vocabulary in conversational contexts becomes common. Focus on its usage in phrases and collocations to enhance understanding and fluency.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, encountering someone unexpectedly can symbolize fate or destiny, often seen in stories and proverbs. For example, the concept of '缘分' (yuánfèn) relates to the idea of predestined relationships, where meeting someone can change one's life.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 遇 with 见 (jiàn) and may incorrectly use them interchangeably. For example, saying '我遇他' (I met him) instead of '我见他' is incorrect in contexts where the meeting was planned.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 遇

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Etymology of 遇

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 辶 represents the meaning and 禺 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

walk

Semantic (meaning)
+
Phonetic (sound)
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 遇?

Decomposition of 遇

IDS Structure⿺辶禺
Full Character
=
chuo4
enclosing
ou3
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 遇?

Write 遇

Practice writing stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 遇

遇 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 8 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

无论____到什么困难,我们都不要放弃。

No matter what difficulties we encounter, we must not give up.

Common Confusions with 遇

遇 is often used as a standalone verb meaning 'to encounter', while 遇到 emphasizes the act of encountering something.

1

我遇到了我的老朋友。

遇 is often used as a standalone verb meaning 'to encounter', while 遇到 emphasizes the act of encountering something.

💡Remember 遇 is the basic form; 遇到 includes the '到', indicating the completion of the encounter.

Example Sentences for 遇 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我觉得应为我们遭遇的问题负部分责任。

wǒ jué dé yīng wéi wǒ mén zāo yù de wèn tí fù bù fēn zé rèn。

I feel partly responsible for the problems we're in.
2
我发现当我们的目光相遇时,我本能地还以微笑。

wǒ fā xiàn dāng wǒ mén de mù guāng xiāng yù shí, , wǒ běn néng dì huán yǐ wēi。

I found myself smiling back instinc-tively when our eyes met.
3
你将会无法忍受所遭遇的伪善和双重标准。

nǐ jiāng huì wú fǎ rěn shòu suǒ zāo yù de wěi shàn hé shuāng zhòng biāo zhǔn。

You'll have little patience with the hypocrisy and double standards you encounter.
4
这位大人凝视的目光离开火苗,与上校的目光相遇。

zhè wèi dà rén níng shì de mù guāng lí kāi huǒ miáo, , yǔ shàng xiào de mù guāng xiāng。

The Monsignor turned his gaze from the flames to meet the Colonel's.
5
真搞不懂为什么这个人就该受到如此不公正的待遇。

zhēn gǎo bù dǒng wéi shí mó zhè gè rén jiù gāi shòu dào rú cǐ bù gōng zhèng de dài yù。

It was hard to say why the man deserved such shabby treatment.
6
这对夫妇大约两年前相遇,很快就成了知交。

zhè duì fū fù dà yuē liǎng nián qián xiāng yù, , hěn kuài jiù chéng le zhī。

The couple met about two years ago and soon became firm friends.
7
这是我所遇到的最好的事情了。

zhè shì wǒ suǒ yù dào de zuì hǎo de shì qíng le。

It's the best thing that ever happened to me.
8
这一遭遇实在让他满腔愤慨。

zhè yī zāo yù shí zài ràng tā mǎn qiāng fèn kǎi。

He is truly outraged about what's happened to him.
9
他的车遭遇拦劫,随后他被4名持枪歹徒劫持。

tā de chē zāo yù lán jié, , suí hòu tā4 bèi 4 míng chí qiāng dǎi tú。

His car was held up and he was abducted by four gunmen.
10
他们在大学偶遇,最后结了婚。

tā mén zài dà xué ǒu yù, , zuì hòu jié le。

They had met by chance at university and finished up getting married.

Cultural Notes for 遇

💡Did you know?

'遇' can also relate to the concept of fate or chance in Chinese culture. Meeting someone by chance is often seen as a significant event, reflecting the belief in destiny.

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, encountering someone unexpectedly can symbolize fate or destiny, often seen in stories and proverbs. For example, the concept of '缘分' (yuánfèn) relates to the idea of predestined relationships, where meeting someone can change one's life.

Word Family of 遇

Words Containing This Character20
遇到yùdàoto meet
to meet
遇见yùjiànto meet遇見
遭遇zāoyùto meet with
机遇jīyùopportunity機遇
待遇dàiyùpay
相遇xiāngyùto meet
外遇extramarital affair
遇害to be murdered
遇难yùnànto perish遇難
偶遇a chance encounter
遇难者victim遇難者
境遇jìngyùcircumstance
礼遇courtesy禮遇
遇刺to be attacked by an assassin
遇险yùxiǎnto meet with danger遇險
奇遇happy encounter
随遇而安flexible隨遇而安
际遇luck際遇
不期而遇meet by chance
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 遇到 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 遇

Common phrases with 遇 include '遇到困难' which means 'to encounter difficulties' and '遇见' meaning 'to meet.' These phrases are useful for expressing various types of encounters in conversation.