游

yóu
#694 most
frequent character
swim, wander, travel, tour
verb

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

游 first meant 'to travel by water'. 氵 water is the picture part, and 斿 yóu supplies the sound. The sense grew to 'travel', 'amuse oneself', 'move around', 'swim', and 'flow, float'.

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Example Sentences

我喜欢在夏天游泳。
wǒ xǐhuān zài xiàtiān yóuyǒng 。
I like to swim in the summer.
他们经常去海边游玩。
tāmen jīngcháng qù hǎibiān yóuwán 。
They often go to the beach to wander around.
我们计划下个月去旅行游览。
wǒmen jìhuá xiàgèyuè qù lǚxíng yóulǎn 。
We plan to travel and tour next month.

Same Characters, Different Readings

游You2
surname You
游yóu
swim, wander, travel, tour

Words with similar meanings

游泳yóuyǒng
swim
Specifically refers to the act of swimming, a more specific form of '游'.
旅游lǚyóu
travel
Focuses more on the concept of traveling, usually for leisure, a form of '游' that implies a broader experience.
逛guàng
wander
Implies a casual stroll or browsing, similar to wandering, but less structured than '游'.

Homophones

HSK 4
由yóu
to follow, from, it is for...to
油yóu
oil, fat, grease
游yóu
swim, wander, travel, tour
邮yóu
post (office), mail
尤yóu
outstanding, particularly, especially
犹yóu
as if, (just) like, just as, still

Words Starting With 游

游泳yóu yǒng
swim
游戏yóu xì
game; play
游览yóu lǎn
to go sight-seeing; to tour; to visit

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