递 meaning and stroke order
To hand over; to pass on; to deliver; (bound form) progressively; in the proper order
How to write 递, stroke by stroke
10 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 递
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to hand over; to pass on; to deliver
- (bound form) progressively; in the proper order
How 递 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Walk.
辶 gives the meaning and 弟 hints at the sound.
Radical: 辶 (to walk), shared by 131 characters on this site.
How to remember 递
The walking radical 辶 shows movement, and 弟 (dì) gives the sound. Picture a little brother 弟 walking 辶 across the room to hand something over.
递 is mostly used for passing or handing things to someone, and it is very common in 快递 (kuàidì, express delivery). In daily speech 递给 is the natural way to say "hand it to." Example: 请把盐递给我。(Qǐng bǎ yán dì gěi wǒ.) Please pass me the salt.
Common mistake: Learners often write 弟 alone or swap in 第 (dì, the ordinal prefix), since all three share the sound dì. Remember that only 递 has the walking radical 辶, because it involves moving something to someone.
Common words with 递
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
递 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 递
How many strokes are in 递?
递 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 递 mean?
递 (dì) means to hand over; to pass on; to deliver; (bound form) progressively; in the proper order. A common word with it is 快递 (kuàidì), meaning "express delivery".
How do you pronounce 递?
递 is pronounced dì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 递?
The radical of 递 is 辶, which carries the idea of "to walk". Dictionaries list 递 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 递?
The traditional form of 递 is 遞. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 递 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 递 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 递 is part of the HSK 4 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 递 and 给?
给 (gěi) simply means to give, while 递 describes physically passing or handing an object over, often across a short distance. They often appear together as 递给, meaning "hand it to."
What does 递 mean in words like 递增?
In some bound forms 递 means progressively or step by step in order. 递增 (dìzēng) means to increase gradually, and 递减 (dìjiǎn) means to decrease gradually.