<ol>
<li><p>All of your definitions (e.g., <code>吃虧</code>, <code>虧損</code>, <code>虧蝕</code>) appertain to the pronunciation <code>kuī</code> – for this reason, memorising <code>kuī</code> suffices. The pronunciation <code>yú</code> is far less important.</p>
</li>
<li><p>As for the pronunciation <code>yú</code>, it is likely to be a glyphic variant of <code>于</code> (a character you have asked <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/q/43485/27428">before</a>) (see below, from <a href="https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E4%BA%8F" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Baidu</a>). From the viewpoint of glyph evolution, the character pronounced <code>kuī</code> was first written as <code>虧</code> in traditional script no later than Han dynasty, only simplified into <code>亏</code> in the 20th century. The rationale of simplification being, <code>亏</code> is a relatively obscure yet graphically related character. Now it has become the dominant meaning associated to <code>亏</code>.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ocIAk.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ocIAk.png" alt="baidu" /></a></p>
<p>References:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E4%BA%8F" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Baidu Baike</a></li>
<li><a href="https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E4%BA%8F" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Multi-function Chinese Character Database</a></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-25T09:39:23.723Z
2021-04-25T09:39:23.723Z
L Parker
<p><em>Grand Ricci</em> says:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>亏<br />
yú<br />
V. n. 11938 于 yú.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It looks like it is a rare variant of 于/於. It doesn't seem to be anything that you'd really come across these days in the wild though.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-25T09:36:51.823Z
2021-04-25T09:36:51.823Z
Mou某
<p>The dictionary entry for 亏 is:</p>
<p>亏 kuī(or yú) lose, fail, damage, deficient</p>
<p>When will 亏 be pronounced as yú?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-26T02:18:42.207Z
I never used 亏 as yú in my entire life, even didn't know it pronounces yú as well.
Zhang
<pronunciation>
When 亏 is kuī ? when yú?
# When 亏 is kuī ? when yú?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-04-25)

The dictionary entry for 亏 is:

亏 kuī(or yú) lose, fail, damage, deficient

When will 亏 be pronounced as yú?

**Tags:** pronunciation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I never used 亏 as yú in my entire life, even didn't know it pronounces yú as well.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-04-25. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

1. All of your definitions (e.g., `吃虧`, `虧損`, `虧蝕`) appertain to the pronunciation `kuī` – for this reason, memorising `kuī` suffices. The pronunciation `yú` is far less important.
2. As for the pronunciation `yú`, it is likely to be a glyphic variant of `于` (a character you have asked [before](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/q/43485/27428)) (see below, from [Baidu](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E4%BA%8F)). From the viewpoint of glyph evolution, the character pronounced `kuī` was first written as `虧` in traditional script no later than Han dynasty, only simplified into `亏` in the 20th century. The rationale of simplification being, `亏` is a relatively obscure yet graphically related character. Now it has become the dominant meaning associated to `亏`.

[![baidu](https://i.sstatic.net/ocIAk.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/ocIAk.png)

References:

* [Baidu Baike](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E4%BA%8F)
* [Multi-function Chinese Character Database](https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E4%BA%8F)


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### Answer by username_3 on 2021-04-25. Score: 1

*Grand Ricci* says:

> 亏  
> yú  
> V. n. 11938 于 yú.

It looks like it is a rare variant of 于/於. It doesn't seem to be anything that you'd really come across these days in the wild though.


---

