游

• Pinyin: yóu
• Hanzi breakdown: 游 = 氵(水) (water) + 方 (direction) + 㫃 (flag), indicating movement through water

Meaning

To swim; to travel; to roam. Refers to moving through water or travelling for pleasure.

As a standalone verb, 游 primarily means 'to swim' (游泳). It also means 'to travel' or 'to roam' (旅游 = to travel, 游客 = tourist). Can describe any free-flowing or leisurely movement.

Examples

1. 他每天早上去游泳池游一个小时。 He goes to the swimming pool to swim for an hour every morning.
2. 周末我们打算去公园游玩。 We plan to go to the park to have fun this weekend.
3. 鱼在水里自由地游来游去。 The fish swim freely back and forth in the water.

Usage Guide

Context: sports, travel, nature

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 你会游泳吗？(Can you swim?)
• 我们去湖边游玩吧。(Let's go have fun by the lake.)

Don't Say

• 我游了北京。(Don't use 游 alone as 'visited' — say 我去北京旅游了 or 我游览了北京)

Origin & History

Originally depicted a flag or banner streaming in the wind, later extended to mean flowing movement in water (swimming) and free travel.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal