游 meaning and stroke order
To swim; variant of 遊|游[you2]
How to write 游, stroke by stroke
12 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 游
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to walk
- to tour
- to roam
- to travel
- to swim
- variant of 遊|游[you2]
How 游 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To swim freely 斿 through the seas 氵.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 游
游 is water 氵 on the left with 斿 on the right, and the etymology hint pictures someone swimming freely 斿 through the seas 氵. From moving freely through water, the meaning widens to moving freely through the world: to roam, tour, and travel.
游 rarely stands alone in modern speech. It usually appears in words like 旅游 (lǚyóu, to travel), 游泳 (yóuyǒng, to swim), and 游戏 (yóuxì, game). Example: 周末我们去旅游吧。(Zhōumò wǒmen qù lǚyóu ba.) Let's go on a trip this weekend.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 游 (yóu) with 遊 and 泳 (yǒng). 泳 means only swimming, while 游 covers both swimming and traveling. Also keep 游 in the second tone. Do not say it with the third tone of 有 (yǒu).
Common words with 游
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 旅游 | lǚyóu | trip; journey | HSK 2 |
| 游客 | yóukè | traveler; tourist; (online gaming) guest player | HSK 2 |
| 游戏 | yóuxì | game (CL:場|场[chang3]); to play | HSK 3 |
| 游泳 | yóuyǒng | swimming; to swim | HSK 3 |
| 导游 | dǎoyóu | tour guide; guidebook | HSK 4 |
| 游泳池 | yóuyǒngchí | swimming pool | HSK 5 |
| 游行 | yóuxíng | to march; to parade; to demonstrate; procession; march; demonstration | HSK 6 |
| 游戏机 | yóuxìjī | video game machine; video game console | HSK 6 |
| 游玩 | yóuwán | to amuse oneself; to have fun | HSK 6 |
| 游人 | yóurén | a tourist | HSK 6 |
| 漫游 | mànyóu | to travel around; to roam | HSK 7-9 |
| 上游 | shàngyóu | upper reaches (of a river); upper level | HSK 7-9 |
| 游览 | yóulǎn | to go sightseeing; to tour | HSK 7-9 |
| 下游 | xiàyóu | lower reaches (of a river); lower level | HSK 7-9 |
游 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 游
How many strokes are in 游?
游 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 游 mean?
游 (yóu) means to swim; variant of 遊|游[you2]. A common word with it is 旅游 (lǚyóu), meaning "trip; journey".
How do you pronounce 游?
游 is pronounced yóu, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 游?
The radical of 游 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 游 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 游?
The traditional form of 游 is 遊. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 游 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 游 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 游 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 游 and 遊?
In traditional Chinese, 遊 was used for traveling and roaming, and 游 was used for swimming. Simplified Chinese merged both meanings into 游, so mainland texts use 游 for all of them.
Does 游戏 only mean video games?
No. 游戏 (yóuxì) means any game, including children's games and party games, and it can also be a verb meaning to play. For a gaming device, people say 游戏机 (yóuxìjī).