递 (dì): to hand over; to pass (to someo…

Meanings

1 to hand over; to pass (to someone)
2 progressively; in succession

Characters

递

dì

to hand over; to pass

Examples

请把盐递给我。

Qǐng bǎ yán dì gěi wǒ.

Please pass me the salt.

她递了一杯水给客人。

Tā dì le yī bēi shuǐ gěi kèrén.

She handed a glass of water to the guest.

他递上了自己的简历。

Tā dìshàng le zìjǐ de jiǎnlì.

He handed over his resume.

Tips

usage

递 is the core verb for physically handing something to someone. It appears in 快递 (express delivery), which literally means 'fast passing.'

usage

Common patterns: 递给 (hand to), 递上 (hand up/over formally), 传递 (to transmit/relay).

Components

radical

辶 chuò

walking; movement (radical form of 辵)

Wraps the lower-left as the walking radical (side-form of 辵). Anchors 递 as motion that carries something from one point to the next: to deliver, to hand over, to pass along. Same motion family: 进, 退, 远, 这. The relay imagery underlies modern usages 快递 (express delivery) and 递交 (submit).

phonetic

弟 dì

younger brother; in order (here phonetic)

Inner 弟 supplies the sound exactly (dì) and adds a fitting semantic hook: 弟 originally pictured a sequence of binding cords, hence in order or step by step. Pair this with the walking radical and the picture is moving things forward in turn — a relay or chain of delivery. Same phonetic family: 第 (ordinal), 梯 (ladder).