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to have / there is

yǒu
6 strokes · 又 (hand) over 月 (meat) · HSK 1

Where 有 comes from

有 is a hand (又) holding a piece of meat (月, the 'meat' radical). In ancient times, to have meat in your hand was to HAVE — to possess something valuable. Wealth you could literally grasp.

有 in Chinese culture

有 is one of the most-used verbs in Chinese: 有 (to have / there is), 没有 (to not have — its only negation; you can't say 不有). 有人 = 'someone / there is a person'. 有名 (which you just learned) = 'to have a name' = famous. It also expresses existence: 这里有水 = 'there is water here.'

Example

有人 yǒu rén — someone / there is a person

我有一个。
Wǒ yǒu yí gè.
I have one.

How to remember it

A hand (又) gripping meat (月) — to HAVE something valuable.

有 is the one verb you negate with 没, never 不: 没有 (don't have). Every other verb takes 不 — 有 is the lone exception, and Chinese learners never forget it.

Same sound, different tones

1st yōu
excellent
2nd yóu
to swim / travel
3rd yǒu
to have
4th yòu
again

Words unlocked by 有

我有 wǒ yǒu
I have
有人 yǒu rén
someone
有一个 yǒu yí gè
there is one
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