Hanzi Writer

How to Write 驿 (yì) — Meaning “post station; relay station”

yì 8 strokes Radical: 马

驿 (yì) means "post station; relay station" in Chinese. It has 8 strokes with the radical 马.

Rated 3.7/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Appears in 3+ common words including 驿站 (yì zhàn), 驿道 (yì dào), 驿使 (yì shǐ).

Due to its 8 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 驿 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 驿 - yì

Practice Writing 驿 (yì)

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How to Write 驿

The character 驿 (yì) is written with 8 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 马 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does yì (驿) Mean in Chinese?

驿 means post station; relay station.

Character Data

Character驿
Pinyinyì (yi)
Meaningpost station; relay station
Strokes8
Radical马
Difficulty3.7/5

Origin of 驿

驿 combines the radical 马 (horse) with a simplified phonetic component (又, originally from 睪 meaning 'watchtower'). In ancient China, relay stations housed horses for swift message delivery, often set up in watchtowers, so the character visually connects a horse to a station.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a horse (马) galloping to a relay station marked by a giant 'X' (又) where it swaps for a fresh steed.

Common Words with 驿

驿站 yì zhàn
post station; courier station
驿道 yì dào
post road; courier route
驿使 yì shǐ
courier; messenger

Example Sentences

快递到了菜鸟驿站。

kuài dì dào le cài niǎo yì zhàn

The package has arrived at the Cainiao station.

这是一条古老的驿道。

zhè shì yī tiáo gǔ lǎo de yì dào

This is an ancient post road.

古代的驿使送信很快。

gǔ dài de yì shǐ sòng xìn hěn kuài

Ancient couriers delivered mail very quickly.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
驿 (current) yì 8 马
驮 duò / tuó 6 马
驯 xùn 6 马
驰 chí 6 马
Stroke order practice for 驿 - yì

Practice Writing 驿 (yì)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 驿 with real-time feedback.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 驿

驿 has the radical 马 (horse) on the left and the component 尺 (ruler) on the right. The horse radical shows the character is related to horses and travel, while 尺 suggests a measured distance along a road, together forming the idea of a post station where horses changed along courier routes.

Characters with Radical 马

马mǎ驭yù驮duò/tuó驯xùn驰chí驱qū驳bó驴lǘ驵zǎng驶shǐ

Other 8-Stroke Characters

㐭lǐn丧sāng/sàng乖guāi乳rǔ乶fǔ事shì些xiē亟jí享xiǎng京jīng