How to say “less than” in Chinese
less than
“Less than” in Chinese is 小于, xiǎo yú: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
小于 is read xiǎo yú: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
Don't confuse it with 干: 于 has a hook at the bottom.
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “小于”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 小于. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 五大于三二小于七wǔdàyúsān,èrxiǎoyúqīFive is greater than three, two is less than seven.
More words from the lesson “Greater, less, equal”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “less than” in Chinese?
“Less than” in Chinese is 小于, pinyin xiǎoyú.
What does 小于 mean?
小于 (xiǎoyú) means “less than”.
How do you write 小于?
小于 is 2 characters: 小 (xiǎo) — small; 于 (yú) — in, at, to (literary). The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 小于?
小于 is read xiǎoyú. Tones: xiǎo — third tone, yú — second tone. The page has an audio recording.
“less than” in the lesson “Greater, less, equal”
This word is from the topic “Measurements and data” of HSK 5. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
Start for free