集邮

• Pinyin: jí yóu
• Hanzi breakdown: 集 = 隹 + 木 (gather); 邮 = 垂 + 阝(post — postal)

Meaning

Stamp collecting; philately. The hobby of collecting postage stamps and related postal items.

A widely popular hobby in China. Commemorative and special-issue stamps are culturally significant. The term can also be used attributively (集邮册 = stamp album, 集邮者 = philatelist).

Examples

1. 他从小就热爱集邮，至今已收藏了数千枚珍贵邮票。 He has loved stamp collecting since childhood, and by now he has collected thousands of valuable stamps.
2. 集邮是一种兼具艺术欣赏与历史研究价值的文化爱好。 Stamp collecting is a cultural hobby with both artistic appeal and value for historical research.
3. 父亲把那本珍贵的集邮册留给了我作为纪念。 My father left me that treasured stamp album as a keepsake.

Usage Guide

Context: hobbies, culture, education

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 中国邮政每逢重要节日或历史纪念日都会发行特种邮票，吸引众多集邮爱好者竞相购买收藏。(China Post issues special stamps on important holidays and historical anniversaries, attracting many philately enthusiasts to purchase and collect them.)
• 数字通信的普及虽然令实体邮件数量大幅减少，但集邮作为一种文化传承活动的魅力却并未因此而减退。(Although the popularisation of digital communication has sharply reduced the volume of physical mail, the appeal of stamp collecting as a cultural heritage activity has not diminished as a result.)

Don't Say

• 收集邮票 is also correct but 集邮 is the standard concise term used in formal and hobby contexts

Origin & History

集 (collect) + 邮 (postal/stamp)

Cultural Context

Generation: Older generations

Social background: Universal