邮

郵

yóu

由 + 阝

Definitions

yóu (noun) post; mail

yóu (verb) to mail; to post

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. ⻏ represents the meaning and 由 represents the sound. Simplified form of 郵.

Semantic: 阝 Phonetic: 由

About

邮 is the simplified form of 郵, which originally had a different left component. It is a phono-semantic compound: the right side 阝 (the "city" radical) suggests a connection to a place or settlement, while the left side 由 provides the sound. Historically, the character referred to relay stations, courier posts where messages and horses were exchanged along routes between cities. From these physical stations, the meaning evolved to denote the modern postal system, covering mail, parcels, and correspondence.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这是一张邮票。

Zhè shì yī zhāng yóupiào.

This is a stamp.

我去了邮局。

Wǒ qùle yóujú.

I went to the post office.

他寄了一封邮件。

Tā jìle yī fēng yóujiàn.

He sent a piece of mail.

邮递员送来了信。

Yóudìyuán sòngláile xìn.

The postman delivered the letter.

请告诉我邮政编码。

Qǐng gàosù wǒ yóuzhèng biānmǎ.

Please tell me the postal code.

我们需要支付邮资。

Wǒmen xūyào zhīfù yóuzī.

We need to pay the postage.

如果你有邮件，请去邮局取。

Rúguǒ nǐ yǒu yóujiàn, qǐng qù yóujú qǔ.

If you have mail, please go to the post office to pick it up.

由于天气原因，邮政服务可能会延迟。

Yóuyú tiānqì yuányīn, yóuzhèng fúwù kěnéng huì yánchí.

Due to weather reasons, postal service may be delayed.

Related Characters

Component: 由

Component: 阝

邮