The Mandarin 于 (yú) Family: 对于, 关于, 由于, 至于, 属于, 位于, 终于
By Michael McGettrick and Wee Khang LinUpdated 12 October 2026
(yú) is an old preposition, "at, to, from", that survives inside a family of words. (guānyú) and (duìyú) both translate as "about", and they are not interchangeable: names a subject, names who or what something matters to. The rest of the family is easier.
Quick check
Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.
Pick the right one
0/3Pick the word that fits.
我看了一本中国历史的书。 (I read a book about Chinese history.)
wǒ kàn le yì běn ___ zhōng guó lì shǐ de shū 。 (I read a book about Chinese history.)
学生来说，时间很重要。 (For students, time matters.)
___ xué shēng lái shuō ， shí jiān hěn zhòng yào 。 (For students, time matters.)
下雨，比赛改到了星期天。 (Owing to rain, the match moved to Sunday.)
___ xià yǔ ， bǐ sài gǎi dào le xīng qī tiān 。 (Owing to rain, the match moved to Sunday.)
The whole family on one screen
The colours stay the same all page long:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Kind | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| guānyú | phrase | about |
| duìyú | phrase | as regards, for |
| yóuyú | phrase | owing to |
| zhìyú | phrase | as for |
| shǔyú | verb | belong to |
位 | wèiyú | verb | be located in |
等 | děngyú | verb | equal, amount to |
| zhōngyú | adverb | at last |
The first four open a phrase that sits in front of the real verb. The next three are verbs themselves. (zhōngyú) is an everyday adverb.
关于 (guānyú) or 对于 (duìyú)?
(guānyú) says what a book, a talk or a question is ON. (duìyú) says who or what an attitude or an effect lands on:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
。 | Wǒ kàn le yì běn guānyú lìshǐ de shū. | I read a book about history |
，。 | Guānyú zhè jiàn shì, wǒmen xià cì zài tán. | On this matter, let's talk next time |
，。 | Duìyú xuésheng lái shuō, shíjiān hěn zhòngyào. | For students, time matters |
。 | Zhège xiāoxi duìyú wǒmen hěn zhòngyào. | This news matters to us |
Two places take only one of them. For what a book, a film or a talk is about, only (guānyú): (guānyú lìshǐ de shū), never . With a word like (zhòngyào), important, only (duìyú) or (duì): (duìyú wǒmen hěn zhòngyào), never .
Test it in English: if "on the subject of" fits, use (guānyú); if "as it affects" or "in the eyes of" fits, use (duìyú).
对 (duì) or 对于 (duìyú)?
(duì) is the shorter, everyday word. Almost anywhere (duìyú) works, works too; the reverse is not true. How someone treats a person takes only :
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
。 | Tā duì wǒ hěn hǎo. | He is good to me |
。 | Wǒ duì zhè jiàn shì hěn yǒu xìngqù. | I'm very interested in this |
，。 | Duìyú zhè jiàn shì, wǒ hěn yǒu xìngqù. | As regards this, I'm very interested (formal) |
(duì) sits happily after the subject. (duìyú) is at home at the front of the sentence, as in the last row; after the subject it is more formal than (duì).
由于 (yóuyú): owing to
(yóuyú) is the written (yīnwèi). It opens the first clause, before a noun phrase or a whole clause:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
，。 | Yóuyú xià yǔ, bǐsài gǎidào le xīngqītiān. | Owing to rain, the match moved to Sunday |
，。 | Yóuyú tiānqì yuányīn, fēijī wǎn le liǎng ge xiǎoshí. | Owing to the weather, the plane was late |
(yóuyú tiānqì yuányīn), owing to the weather, is the stock phrase of airports and stations. How (yóuyú) pairs with (yīncǐ), and why it cannot trail, is on formal connectives.
至于 (zhìyú): as for
(zhìyú) moves on. One point is done; opens the next, so it needs something before it:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
。，。 | Jiéguǒ wǒ yǐjīng shuō le. Zhìyú yuányīn, qǐng kàn xiàmiàn. | That's the result. As for the reasons, see below |
，。 | Zhìyú míngtiān de ānpái, wǒmen wǎn diǎn zàishuō. | As for tomorrow’s plans, we’ll talk later |
(bú zhìyú) means "it won't come to that": ，。 (Tā hěn shēngqì, búguò bú zhìyú dǎ rén.) - He's angry, but not enough to hit anyone.
Three verbs: 属于 (shǔyú), 位于 (wèiyú), 等于 (děngyú)
These are verbs, so they carry the sentence on their own:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
。 | Zhè běn shū shǔyú túshūguǎn. | This book belongs to the library |
位。 | Zhè suǒ dàxué wèiyú chéngshì de běibù. | The university is in the north of the city |
等。 | Èr jiā èr děngyú sì. | Two plus two equals four |
等。 | Bù shuōhuà děngyú tóngyì. | Saying nothing amounts to agreeing |
位 (wèiyú) is the written verb for where a fixed place is: a city, a building, a country. Speech says the same with (zài): 。 (Zhè suǒ dàxué zài chéngshì de běibù.) For people, only will do: 。 (Wǒ zài jiā.), I'm at home.
终于 (zhōngyú): at last
(zhōngyú) goes before the verb and means "at last": something long awaited, or hard won, has happened or is just about to:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
，。 | Tā zhǎo le hěn jiǔ, zhōngyú zhǎodào le gōngzuò. | He looked for ages and finally found a job |
！ | Bǐsài zhōngyú yào kāishǐ le! | The match is finally about to start! |
。 | Wǒmen zuìhòu qù le nà jiā fànguǎn. | In the end we went to that restaurant |
The last row has no waiting in it: (zuìhòu) just means the final step. (zhōngyú) carries the wait, and usually the relief.
Mistakes English speakers make
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| | a book about something: (guānyú) |
。 | 。 | mattering to someone: (duìyú) |
。 | 。 | treating a person: (duì) |
位。 | 。 | 位 (wèiyú) is for fixed places |
What to do next
- Do the drill below.
- Write two sentences about a book you like: one with
(guānyú), one with(duìyú)…. - Then read causatives with 使 (shǐ) and 令 (lìng), more of formal written Mandarin.