臾
a little while, urging
Strokes9
Readings
On'yomi
- ユ
- ヨ
- ヨウ
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
臾 centers on a short span of time: a little while, a moment. The sense of urging is a natural extension of pressing someone to act within a brief window.
Most common words using 臾
- 須臾しゅゆ
moment; instant; short amount of time
Study
Etymology
The exact historical development of 臾 is uncertain. It may have originally depicted hands grasping something, but the modern form is highly stylized and its component origins are not clearly established.
Meaning mnemonic
The shape looks like a pair of hands 臼 holding a person 人, as if urging them to hurry. Picture someone being gently pushed forward for just a little while.
Reading mnemonic
For ユ, imagine someone urging you to hurry: 'You! Just a little while longer!' The word 'you' cues ユ while the urgency fits the meaning.