驿

noun #63,633

Meanings

  1. 1 post horse
  2. 2 relay station
  3. 3 courier stop

Examples

HSK 7-9
Gǔdài gōngwén kào yì mǎ yí zhànzhàn chuándì.
In ancient times, official messages were carried by post horses from one relay station to the next.
HSK 7-9
Yì wài duànqiáo biān, méihuā jìmò de kāi zhe.
Beside a broken bridge outside the post station, a plum blossom blooms alone.

Tips

history
驿 was the relay station system that kept the empire connected: fresh 驿马 (post horses) waited at each 驿站 so couriers could change mounts and rush official documents across the country.

Components

radical
horse
The horse radical, picturing a horse. It is the meaning core: a 驿 centers on the relay horses that sped messages between official stations.
phonetic
(contracted phonetic)
The right side is a simplified, contracted phonetic. The same simplified piece appears in the related characters (yì) and (zé).

Stroke Order

驿