How to Write 游 (yóu) — Meaning “To swim, travel, or roam”

Imagine a person swimming (氵) while holding a flag (方) and a child (子) – the flag represents traveling to new places, and the child represents playing games. This combines the ideas of swimming, travel, and fun, which are all meanings of 游.

Start by writing the three-dot water radical on the left. Then write the right side: first a dot, then a horizontal line, then a left-falling stroke, a horizontal hook, and finally the bottom part resembling 子. A common mistake is confusing the right side with 放 (to release) – remember the bottom is 子 (child), not 攵.

Visually, 游 has a right side with a top part like 方 and a bottom part 子, while 流 has a more complex right side with 㐬 (like a flowing shape). 浙 has a right side that looks like 折 (to break). In meaning, 游 is about swimming or traveling, 流 means to flow, and 浙 is used only for the place name Zhejiang.

游 is very common in daily life, appearing in words like 游泳 (to swim), 旅游 (tourism), and 游戏 (game). Culturally, 游 appears in many travel slogans and is used for leisurely activities, reflecting Chinese values of exploring nature and enjoying free time.

Common words containing 游 include: 游泳 (yóu yǒng) — To swim; 旅游 (lǚ yóu) — tourism, to travel; 游戏 (yóu xì) — Game.