HSK 6
于
yú
于 (yú) - Preposition indicating place/time/state
Explanation
'于' (yú) is a preposition (a word placed before a noun to indicate a relationship: at, with, on...) with a formal quality, equivalent to "at, in, on" in English, belonging to formal/written usage (the way things are used in books and documents, rarely in speech).
verb + 于 + place/time.
出生于1995年 (chū shēng yú...) = born in 1995; 生活于西南地区 (shēng huó yú...) = live in the Southwest region.
Used in written and formal style (biographies, introductions, reports, science) to state the time or place of an event. This is a point of 书面语 (shū miàn yǔ — formal written language); in everyday conversation people use 在 (zài) instead.
于 and 在 share the meaning "at/in", but 于 always comes AFTER the verb and is more formal; 在 is more natural and can come before or after the verb (在1995年出生 sounds everyday, 出生于1995年 sounds formal).
placing 于 at the start of the sentence or before the verb like 在 (wrong: 他于1995年在出生); 于 must attach immediately after the verb. Also do not overuse 于 in everyday conversation, as it sounds stiff.
Examples
He was born in 1995.
Giant pandas mainly live in the Southwest region of China.
Practice
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Learn “于” effectively
The grammar point “于” (于 (yú) - Preposition indicating place/time/state) is one of the key structures at HSK 6. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.
Study tip: read the examples aloud many times to build a natural reflex. Then try making your own sentences for your own situations. Use the audio button to hear and practice accurate pronunciation.
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