Dictionary › 欲

欲

yù

HSK 6 Character Traditional 慾

What 欲 means

1. desire
2. appetite
3. passion
4. lust
5. greed

Other readings

欲 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• yùto wish for; to desire; variant of {欲|yù}

Example sentences

• 欲速则不达。
  Yùsùzébùdá.
  Haste makes waste.
• 他很有求知欲。
  Tā hěn yǒu qiúzhīyù.
  He is acquisitive of knowledge.
• 我可以随心所欲。
  Wǒ kěyǐ suíxīnsuǒyù.
  I can do what I want.
• 你可以随心所欲。
  Nǐ kěyǐ suíxīnsuǒyù.
  Do as you please.
• 今天我头痛欲裂。
  I have a bad headache today.
• 她总是随心所欲。
  She always gets her own way.

Words starting with 欲

• 欲望yù wàngdesire; longing; appetite; craving
• 欲言又止yù yán yòu zhǐto want to say sth but then hesitate
• 欲罢不能yù bà bù néngwant to stop but can't (idiom); to be unable to stop oneself; to feel an urge to continue
• 欲绝yù juéheartbroken; inconsolable
• 欲念yù niàndesire
• 欲火yù huǒlust
• 欲女yù nǚsex-crazed woman
• 欲求yù qiúto desire; wants; appetites
• 欲海yù hǎiocean of lust (Buddhist term); worldly desires
• 欲经Yù jīngKama Sutra
• 欲振乏力yù zhèn fá lìto try to rouse oneself but lack the strength (idiom)
• 欲益反损yù yì fǎn sǔnwishing for profit, but causing loss (idiom); good intentions that lead to disaster…
• 欲速则不达yù sù zé bù dá(idiom) (the Analects) haste makes waste; things can't be rushed
• 欲取姑与yù qǔ gū yǔ(idiom) to make concessions for the sake of future gains
• 欲滴yù dī(suffix) replete (with moisture); glistening; plump and tender
• 欲仙欲死yù xiān yù sǐto experience sheer ecstasy (or, when used ironically, sheer hell)
• 欲盖弥彰yù gài mí zhāngtrying to hide it makes it more conspicuous (idiom); A cover up only makes matters worse.
• 欲火焚身yù huǒ fén shēnburning with desire
• 欲擒故纵yù qín gù zòngIn order to capture, one must let loose.; to loosen the reins only to grasp them better
• 欲壑难填yù hè nán tián(idiom) insatiably greedy
• 欲加之罪，何患无辞yù jiā zhī zuì , hé huàn wú cíIf you want to condemn sb, don't worry about the pretext (idiom, from Zuozhuan 左传)…
• 欲速而不达yù sù ér bù dásee 欲速则不达
• 欲取姑予yù qǔ gū yǔvariant of 欲取姑与

Words containing 欲

• 性欲xìng yùsexual desire; lust
• 情欲qíng yùlust; desire; sensual
• 食欲shí yùappetite
• 随心所欲suí xīn suǒ yù(idiom) to follow one's heart's desires; to do as one pleases
• 昏昏欲睡hūn hūn yù shuìdrowsy; sleepy (idiom)
• 跃跃欲试yuè yuè yù shìto be eager to give sth a try (idiom)
• 震耳欲聋zhèn ěr yù lóngear-splitting (idiom); deafening
• 蠢蠢欲动chǔn chǔn yù dòngto begin to stir (idiom); to get restless; to become threatening
• 意欲yì yùto intend to; intention; desire
• 摇摇欲坠yáo yáo yù zhuìtottering; on the verge of collapse
• 为所欲为wéi suǒ yù wéi(idiom) to do whatever one pleases
• 痛不欲生tòng bù yù shēngto be so in pain as to not want to live; to be so grieved as to wish one were dead
• 畅所欲言chàng suǒ yù yánlit. fluently saying all one wants (idiom); to preach freely on one's favorite topic…
• 悲痛欲绝bēi tòng yù jué(idiom) to be overcome with grief
• 呼之欲出hū zhī yù chūlit. ready to appear at the call (idiom); fig. on the verge of coming out into the open…
• 求知欲qiú zhī yùdesire for knowledge
• 贪欲tān yùgreed; avarice; rapacious
• 私欲sī yùselfish desire
• 肉欲ròu yùcarnal desire
• 禁欲jìn yùto suppress desire; self-restraint; asceticism
• 物欲wù yùmaterial desire; craving for material things
• 淫欲yín yùlust
• 七情六欲qī qíng liù yù(idiom) various emotions and desires
• 望眼欲穿wàng yǎn yù chuānto anxiously await

Characters built on 谷

These share the phonetic component 谷 (gǔ), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 浴yùbath; to bathe
• 俗súcustom; convention; popular
• 裕yùabundant
• 峪yùvalley
• 鹆yùmynah

Characters that look like 欲

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 破pòbroken; damaged; worn out
• 敏mǐn(bound form) quick; nimble; agile; (bound form) quick-witted; smart
• 敞chǎngopen to the view of all; spacious; to open wide
• 皱zhòuto wrinkle; wrinkled; to crease
• 斌bīnvariant of 彬
• 棣dìKerria japonica

Sounds the same

Read yù, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 育to have children; to raise or bring up; to educate
• 遇(bound form) to encounter; to happen upon; to meet unplanned; (bound form) to treat…
• 预to advance; in advance; beforehand
• 域field; region; area
• 寓(bound form) to reside; to inhabit; (bound form) residence; dwelling…
• 玉jade
• 豫happy; carefree; at one's ease
• 浴bath; to bathe
• 吁to implore
• 狱prison
• 誉to praise; to acclaim; reputation
• 熨reconciled; smooth