郵 (yóu) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

郵

yóu[you2]Tone 2

post, mail

HSK 3

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邮

Guru Deep Dive

English · post, mail

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Topology:Left-right

Strokes:7

Writing Balance Rule: The left side (垂阝) is slightly narrower and vertically compact, while the right side (𣲼/垂) is broader, ensuring the whole character maintains visual equilibrium without leaning too far right.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 郵 uses 垂 on the right side, which was simplified in the modern character.

1. Meaning

post, mail, postal

postal servicemail delivery

Noun / Bound morphemeNeutralBound morpheme#communication#services#transportation

Sample Usage

我去邮局寄信。
wǒ qù yóu jú jì xìn.
I am going to the post office to mail a letter.
请把这个包裹邮走。
qǐng bǎ zhè gè bāoguǒ yóu zǒu.
Please mail this package away.

2. Sound

/[joʊ̯³⁵]/Tone: 35

郵

yóuyou2

´(35)

=yóu

Initial Consonant

Type: Palatal Glide (Zero Initial)

Sounds like: y sound like in 'yes'

Unaspirated

Airflow Tactile Test: Acts as a bridge into 'i' or 'ü' vowel sounds.

Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue body raises toward the hard palate for the semi-vowel glide.

Final Rhyme

Vowel Group: -o vowel group

Sounds like: -ou rhymes with 'so' or the first part of 'boat'

Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'oh'.

Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.

Tone

T2 (35)

3 → 5 (35)

2nd Tone (Mid-Rising)

Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 2 rises like asking a question in English: 'Really?'

👂

Listening trap: Confusing Tone 2 (yóu) with Tone 4 (yòu), which falls sharply. Ensure the pitch goes up rather than down.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: Tone 2 rises like a questioning intonation in English, e.g., 'What?' Use an upward hand sweep rising from chest level to eye level.

3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 7 strokes

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 郵 uses 垂 on the right side, which was simplified in the modern character.

4. Components

Radical 阝 · left mound radical (dual-form 阝) (mound, hill, settlement, place)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 阝 (Indicates a place or station (historically post stations built on mounds).)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 由 (original sound: yóu)

A post station (阝) where messages flow freely from the center outwards (由).

阝 mound / place / station
由 cause / from / phonetic cue yóu

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

11· Phonetic Root: 垂 (chuí)

5. History

Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally combined the left component 阝 (representing a relay station or town) with 由 (phonetic and semantic clue of passage or origin), denoting official courier stations along ancient roads.

Semantic Evolution: Shifted from ancient courier relay stations to modern postal systems, mail, and electronic messaging.

Ancient Chinese postal systems relied on relay stations with horses stationed at intervals, represented by the mound radical 阝.

6. Sinosphere

🇯🇵

Kanji (Japanese)

On: ユウ

🇰🇷

Hanja (Korean)

우

Sound Shift Bridge: Shared East Asian cultural vocabulary root 'yū / u / yóu' relating to postal administration.

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

At the station on the hill (阝), a messenger holds a letter straight from the source (由), ready to **post** it.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

油

yóuoilWater/liquid component (氵) + 由 = oil flowing like liquid.

抽

chōuto pull outHand component (扌) + 由 = pulling something out with your hand.

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

油(yóu)

油 has the water radical (氵) for oil; 邮 has the mound/station radical (阝) for post office.

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

我要去[___]侷寄一封信。

Clue: yóu

Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the left radical 阝 (when on the left, it stands for a hill/station) with the right radical 阝 (which stands for a city), or confusing it with its sibling character 油 (oil).

Memory Prompts

Recognition: When you see 邮, what is its primary meaning and tone?

Production: How do you write the character for 'post/mail' with pinyin yóu?

郵yóupost, mail

Speed:

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