胜于 is a formal preposition meaning 'superior to', 'better than', or 'more excellent than'. It combines the verb 胜 (shèng), meaning 'to win' or 'to surpass', and the preposition 于 (yú), which marks comparison—similar to 'than' in English comparatives. Unlike colloquial phrases like 比…好, 胜于 is literary and often appears in written Chinese, academic texts, classical allusions, or formal speeches. It always follows the thing being compared *against*, so the structure is [A] 胜于 [B], meaning 'A is superior to B'.

This expression emphasizes qualitative superiority—not just preference or degree, but measurable or inherent excellence. It’s commonly used when evaluating skills, qualities, methods, or values, especially where tradition, ethics, or long-term outcomes are involved. Because of its elevated register, it rarely appears in casual conversation or spoken Mandarin, and learners should avoid using it in everyday speech unless imitating formal writing or quoting classical sources.