移

• Pinyin: yí
• Hanzi breakdown: 移 = 禾 (grain radical) + 多 (many, spread), originally depicting crops spreading — generalised to the meaning of moving or shifting

Meaning

To move; to shift; to transfer. Describes changing the position of something or someone.

A versatile verb that applies to physical movement (移椅子 — move a chair), administrative transfer (移交 — to hand over), and abstract change (移风易俗 — to change customs and habits). Appears in many compounds: 转移 (to transfer/shift), 迁移 (to migrate), 移民 (to emigrate/immigrant).

Examples

1. 请把那把椅子移到靠近窗户的地方。 Please move that chair to a spot near the window.
2. 地震使这栋建筑的地基向左移了几厘米。 The earthquake caused this building's foundation to shift several centimetres to the left.
3. 工人们把重型机器从仓库移到了生产车间。 Workers moved the heavy machinery from the warehouse to the production workshop.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, professional

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 把桌子往右移一点，这样更对称。(Move the table a bit to the right — that will look more symmetrical.)
• 文件已经移交给相关部门处理了。(The documents have been transferred to the relevant department for processing.)

Don't Say

• 把'移'用于描述人主动行走 (Don't use 移 for a person walking on their own initiative — use 走 or 行 for that; 移 implies being moved or shifting position, often by an external force or deliberate repositioning)

Origin & History

The character 移 is composed of 禾 (grain/crops) and 多 (many/spread). Originally depicted crops spreading out, generalised to the meaning of moving or shifting.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal