用于

• Pinyin: yòng yú
• Hanzi breakdown: 用 = to use; 于 = formal preposition meaning at/in/for

Meaning

Used for; applied to. A formal way to indicate purpose or application.

More formal than 用来, commonly found in written language, technical documents, and official communications. Often used when describing official allocations, technical applications, or formal purposes. Can also mean 'to allocate toward.'

Examples

1. 这笔资金将用于教育事业的发展。 This funding will be used for the development of education.
2. 该技术已广泛用于医疗领域。 This technology has been widely applied in the medical field.
3. 公司决定将利润的一部分用于员工培训。 The company decided to allocate part of the profits for employee training.

Usage Guide

Context: official documents, technical writing, allocations

Tone: formal

Do Say

• 此设备用于科学研究。(This equipment is used for scientific research.)
• 资金主要用于基础设施建设。(Funds are mainly used for infrastructure construction.)

Don't Say

• 我用于吃饭 (Too formal for daily actions — use 用来 or just describe the action directly)

Origin & History

Compound of 用 (to use) and 于 (at, in, for). The preposition 于 makes it more formal.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Educated