ZHIZHI 知止 · LEARN CHINESE DAILY

to swim; to tour

yóu
12 strokes · 氵(water) + 斿 (banner streaming, sound yóu) · HSK 2

Where 游 comes from

斿 pictured a banner rippling on its pole with a child beneath it. Add water 氵 and the rippling moves into the river: 游 is motion that flows — a swimmer through water, a traveler through landscapes.

游 in Chinese culture

游 carries both of China's favorite freedoms: 游泳 swimming and 旅游 travel. 西游记 'Journey to the West' — the Monkey King's road trip — is literally 'Westward 游 Record'. To 游 is to move the way water does: unhurried, curious, everywhere.

Example

游泳 yóuyǒng — to swim

夏天我常去游泳。
Xiàtiān wǒ cháng qù yóuyǒng.
In summer I often go swimming.

How to remember it

A banner 斿 rippling — now let it ripple through water 氵: SWIMMING.

游客 'traveler-guest' is the word every scenic spot in China greets you with; on a busy holiday, 游客 outnumber locals ten to one at West Lake.

Same sound, different tones

1st yōu
excellent
2nd yóu
to swim
3rd yǒu
friend
4th yòu
right

Words unlocked by 游

游泳 yóuyǒng
to swim
旅游 lǚyóu
to travel
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One character a morning · 169-character HSK library · iOS