Meaning of 游泳
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- swimming
- to swim
How to use 游泳
游泳 works as a verb and as a noun for the sport. It is a separable verb, so you can put words in the middle, as in 游了一个小时泳. Example: 我每个周末都去游泳。(Wǒ měi gè zhōumò dōu qù yóuyǒng.) I go swimming every weekend.
Both 游 (yóu) and 泳 (yǒng) carry the water radical 氵 on the left, so picture yourself in water. 泳 has 永 (yǒng), which also gives it its sound, so you are moving through water for a long time.
Common mistake: Learners often write 泳 as 永 or 冰 (bīng, ice), dropping or changing the water radical. Also watch the tones: yóu is second tone and yǒng is third tone, so the pair rises and then dips.
游泳 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
游 yóu · to swim · 12 strokes
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泳 yǒng · to swim · 8 strokes
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- 8
Related words
Words that share a character with 游泳.
| 旅游 | lǚyóu | trip; journey |
| 游客 | yóukè | traveler; tourist; (online gaming) guest player |
| 游戏 | yóuxì | game (CL:場|场[chang3]); to play |
| 导游 | dǎoyóu | tour guide; guidebook |
| 游泳池 | yóuyǒngchí | swimming pool |
| 游行 | yóuxíng | to march; to parade; to demonstrate; procession; march; demonstration |
| 游戏机 | yóuxìjī | video game machine; video game console |
| 游玩 | yóuwán | to amuse oneself; to have fun |
| 游人 | yóurén | a tourist |
| 漫游 | mànyóu | to travel around; to roam |
| 上游 | shàngyóu | upper reaches (of a river); upper level |
| 游览 | yóulǎn | to go sightseeing; to tour |
Questions about 游泳
What does 游泳 mean?
游泳 (yóuyǒng) means "swimming; to swim" and is used as a noun and verb.
How do you write 游泳?
游泳 is made of 2 characters: 游 (12 strokes), 泳 (8 strokes). That is 20 strokes in total.
Is 游泳 an HSK word?
Yes. 游泳 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do I say I can swim in Chinese?
Use 会 (huì) for a learned skill: 我会游泳 (wǒ huì yóuyǒng). Saying 我能游泳 sounds more like you are able or allowed to swim right now.
Does 游 in 游泳 mean the same as 游 in 旅游?
The character is the same, but in 游泳 it means moving through water, while in 旅游 (lǚyóu) and 游客 (yóukè) it means traveling around or touring. The idea of moving freely links the two meanings.