noun / verb HSK 3
Traditional 郵
mail · post · to mail
Meaning
邮 refers to postal mail and postal services. As a noun, it means mail or post; as a verb, it means to send by mail. It's commonly seen in compound words related to postal services, stamps, and delivery.
Usage
邮 rarely appears alone in modern usage and is almost always found in compound words like 邮件 (mail/email), 邮局 (post office), 邮票 (stamp), or 邮寄 (to mail). When used as a verb, 邮寄 is the standard form rather than 邮 alone.
Examples
- 01这封信我想邮寄到美国。.I want to mail this letter to America.
- 02邮局在哪里？?Where is the post office?
Common collocations
- 邮政postal service
- 邮箱mailbox, email address
- 邮费postage fee
- 邮递员mail carrier, postman
Origin
The traditional form 郵 combines 垂 (to hang down) and 邑 (city/settlement), originally referring to postal relay stations along routes where messages would be passed from one station to another in ancient China.