What does 送 mean in Chinese?

送 (sòng) means "to send" in Chinese. The new HSK exam expects you to recognise it at HSK 2.

How do you write 送?

送 is written with 9 strokes, starting from the 辶 (walk) radical and following standard Chinese stroke order (top to bottom, left to right). See the interactive stroke-order tool for the full animation.

What is the radical of 送?

The radical of 送 is 辶 (walk, Kangxi radical #162). Other common HSK characters using the same radical include 道, 过, 通, 运.

How many strokes does 送 have?

The Chinese character 送 has 9 strokes.

What HSK level is 送?

On the new HSK exam syllabus, 送 is a character to recognise at HSK 2.

送 (sòng): Meaning, Stroke Order, Radical & Examples

送

sòng

to send

HSK 2 character 9 strokes Radical: 辶 (walk)

Quick Answer

送 (sòng) means "to send" with 9 strokes, radical 辶 (walk), HSK 2 on the new exam.

Full dictionary entry for 送 →Animated stroke-order for 送 →

Pronunciation

sòng

Meaning

Primary: to send

Etymology

Oracle-bone origin

送 is a phono-semantic compound with 辵 (walking, 辶) as the semantic radical indicating motion. The component on the right in the modern form is a contracted shape; traditional analyses treat 关 here as a phonetic variant. The character did appear in oracle bone and bronze inscriptions with the sense of escorting someone on foot, so the 辵 radical is semantically direct.

Form evolution

Bronze and seal forms show 辵 beside a component often analysed as a pair of hands holding an object, suggesting the act of handing something over while walking. Clerical regularisation gave the 辶 enclosure and fixed the right-side shape. The modern standard form 送 has been stable since clerical script and was not altered by the 1950s simplification round.

How the meaning evolved

The earliest sense was to escort a person along a road. From there it extended to delivering an object (to send, to deliver), to giving as a gift, and to seeing someone off at a departure. Modern Mandarin uses all these senses actively: 送朋友 can mean either to see a friend off or to give something to a friend depending on context.

Cultural note

Gift-giving etiquette in Chinese culture carefully avoids certain items with 送: sending a clock (送钟) sounds identical to 送终, attending a funeral, so clocks are considered an unlucky gift. The idiom 雪中送炭 (sending charcoal in the snow) means helping someone in real need rather than flattering the already comfortable.

Mnemonic

Walking to close a deal — to send, to deliver

Decomposition

送=关component+辶radical

Breaking a character into its components makes it far easier to recall. Each component above links to its own detail page.

Basic info

Pinyin	sòng
Meanings	to send
Stroke count	9 strokes
Radical	辶 (#162: walk)
New HSK exam	Recognise at HSK 2
Frequency	#796 most common

Example sentences

我送他礼物。
Wǒ sòng tā lǐwù.
I give him a gift.
From 送 (HSK 2)
电台正在播送音乐。
Diàntái zhèngzài bōsòng yīnyuè.
The radio station is broadcasting music.
From 播送
这条传送带可以自动传送货物。
Zhè tiáo chuánsòngdài kěyǐ zìdòng chuánsòng huòwù.
This conveyor belt can automatically transport goods.
From 传送