Definitions

sòng (verb) to deliver; to send
sòng (verb) to give (as a present)
sòng (verb) to see off

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

About

The traditional character 送, which is identical in its simplified modern form, is structurally composed of the semantic component 辶, indicating movement or walking, and the phonetic component 关. Its core meaning originated from the concrete action of accompanying or escorting someone on their way, as reflected in classical texts. Over time, this meaning extended metaphorically to encompass the act of giving, where the object is conceptually "sent forth" to a recipient, and further to the ideas of seeing off or dispatching. The character's fundamental sense of causing something to go or move from one place to another remains consistent across its range of uses from escorting people to presenting gifts.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他一本书。

Wǒ sòng tā yī běn shū.

I give him a book.

妈妈我去学校。

Māma sòng wǒ qù xuéxiào.

Mom sends me to school.

他每天报纸。

Tā měitiān sòng bàozhǐ.

He delivers newspapers every day.

给我一个礼物。

Tā sòng gěi wǒ yī gè lǐwù.

She gave me a gift.

我们他一份贺卡。

Wǒmen sòng tā yī fèn hèkǎ.

We sent him a greeting card.

我要朋友去机场。

Wǒ yào sòng péngyou qù jīchǎng.

I want to see my friend off at the airport.

公司员工参加培训。

Gōngsī sòng yuángōng cānjiā péixùn.

The company sends employees to participate in training.

政府温暖到灾区。

Zhèngfǔ sòng wēnnuǎn dào zāiqū.

The government sends warmth to the disaster area.