How to Write 递 (dì) — Meaning “To hand over / To pass”

Picture yourself walking (辶) to your younger brother (弟) to hand him a package. The image of physically passing something to a sibling helps link the sound and meaning.

Write the 弟 part first, then add the radical 辶 last with a smooth sweeping curve. The dot of 辶 should sit above and slightly left of 弟, not too far away. Avoid making 弟 too tall or the character will look unbalanced.

递 (dì) means to hand over or pass, while 迢 (tiáo) means distant or far, and 迤 (yǐ) means winding or extending. Visually, 递 contains 弟, 迢 contains 召, and 迤 contains 也. Their pronunciations and core meanings are completely different.

递 is very common in daily life, for example in 快递 (express delivery) and 递给 (to hand to). It is also used abstractly, like 传递信息 (pass on information). In Chinese culture, it is polite to use both hands when 递给 someone something, especially a gift or important item.

Common words containing 递 include: 快递 (kuài dì) — Express delivery; courier; 递给 (dì gěi) — To hand to; 传递 (chuán dì) — To pass on; to transmit; to deliver..