優

Meaning

Gentle, kind, superior, excel, actor · amable, suave; superior, sobresalir; actor

Readings

• On (音読み): ユウ
• Kun (訓読み): やさ.しい・すぐ.れる・まさ.る

Example words

• 優しい（やさしい）— kind, gentle
• 優れる（すぐれる）— to excel, to be superior
• 俳優（はいゆう）— actor

Structure

Radical 人 written as 亻 here (ひと・にんべん · Person) · 17 strokes · school grade 6

Watch out

優しい (kind) and 易しい (easy) are both read やさしい: the subtitle's 優しくしてくれる is kindness, not ease. Spanish suave also fits the soft side of 優しい (優しい味, 優しい色). 17 strokes: 亻 plus 憂 (grief) — a person who feels for others. 優勝 (ゆうしょう) is a championship, 優先 (ゆうせん) priority: the 'superior' sense.