递
Character Story & Explanation
In modern Chinese, 递 is ubiquitous in logistics and daily interaction: ‘递简历’ (submit a résumé), ‘递话’ (pass on a message), and especially in the massive express delivery industry—‘快递’ (express delivery) appears over 2 billion times annually in Chinese e-commerce platforms (Alibaba Group Annual Report, 2023). It also appears in formal contexts like ‘递呈’ (formally submit a petition) and idioms such as ‘递眼色’ (to give a meaningful glance—literally ‘hand over a look’).
The character’s form is well-documented: 递 is a phono-semantic compound. The 辶 (chuò) radical indicates movement or travel, while 台 (tái) serves as the phonetic component—though pronunciation shifted from tái to dì due to historical sound change. No oracle-bone origin exists; it first appears reliably in Warring States bamboo texts as a variant of 逓, later standardized in the Kangxi Dictionary.
As an archaeologist brushing dust from a Han dynasty bamboo slip, I find 递 inscribed in clerical script—its 辶 radical unmistakably the 'walking' path, while the 台 component hints at ritual presentation. This isn’t mere delivery; it’s the ceremonial act of transmitting authority, documents, or tribute along imperial roads—a verb etched into administrative records from Dunhuang to Chang’an.
Excavations at Juyan Fort reveal 递 written repeatedly in military dispatch logs: ‘递烽火’ (relay beacon fire), ‘递军书’ (deliver military correspondence). Here, 递 embodies urgency and trust—each handoff verified by seal and witness. The 10-stroke structure reflects precision: three strokes for the path (辶), seven for the controlled transfer (台), mirroring bureaucratic rigor encoded in ink.
Unlike static characters, 递 reveals motion through time. Its evolution—from seal script’s balanced symmetry to modern simplified form—tracks China’s shifting infrastructure: from post-horse stations (驿) to express couriers (快递). To read 递 is to trace a corridor of human connection, where every stroke maps a step taken, a scroll sealed, a promise forwarded across dynasties.
Example Sentences
Common Compounds
Similar Characters — Don't Mix These Up
Your First Step into Chinese Culture: Get a Chinese Name
Every journey into Chinese begins with a name. Use our free Chinese name generator to create a meaningful, personalized Chinese name that fits you perfectly.
Get My Chinese Name →