敢于
gǎn yú · HSK 6
to dare to
🦁 敢 = dare + 于 = at/to; literally 'dare to'
敢 means dare or have courage; 于 is a classical particle meaning 'at, to, in regard to'. Together 敢于 = 'dare to [do]', used before a verb to mark bold action, e.g. 敢于面对 'dare to face'.
敢 — 耳 ear + 又 hand (right) + 攵-like top
Oracle bone forms show a hand seizing an animal or object, suggesting boldness in taking hold. Later script regularized the shape, with components resembling a hand grasping near an ear. The original sense of daring to seize extended to the modern meaning 'to dare' or 'bold.'
于 — two horizontal strokes 二 + vertical hook 亅
于 originated as a pictograph of breath or sound flowing outward, depicting exhalation through a passage. In oracle bone script it resembled a curved line showing motion or extension. Over time it became a grammatical preposition meaning 'at,' 'in,' or 'to,' losing its original concrete sense.