输送

• Pinyin: shū sòng
• Hanzi breakdown: 输 = 车 + 俞 (carriage + hollow passage — to transport); 送 = 辶 + 关 (movement + pass through — to send; to deliver)

Meaning

To transport; to deliver; to convey (goods, resources, personnel, or information) systematically.

Used for large-scale, systematic supply: water infrastructure, military logistics, medical pipelines, and talent pipelines. Figurative use is common: 输送人才 (to supply talent), 输送资金 (to channel funds). Implies continuous, organised flow rather than a single delivery.

Examples

1. 大型水利工程把南方水源源不断地输送到北方旱区，缓解了水资源失衡。 A major water project continuously transports southern water to northern arid areas, easing the imbalance in water resources.
2. 高校不仅向社会输送高素质人才，也承担科技转化和创业人才培养任务。 Universities not only supply society with highly qualified talent, but also handle technology transfer and the cultivation of entrepreneurial talent.
3. 现代物流的核心，是以最低成本把商品从产地输送到消费端，供应链可视化正在改变这一模式。 The core of modern logistics is to transport goods from the place of production to consumers at the lowest cost, and supply-chain visibility is changing this model.

Usage Guide

Context: logistics, infrastructure, military, education, medicine

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这条跨越三省的天然气管道每年可向沿线城市输送超过五百亿立方米的清洁能源，有效缓解了区域冬季供暖能源紧张的压力。(This natural-gas pipeline spanning three provinces can deliver more than 50 billion cubic metres of clean energy to cities along its route each year, effectively easing the pressure of regional energy shortages during winter heating seasons.)
• 顶尖医学院既要向临床一线输送医生，也要培养医学研究人才，二者平衡很重要。(Top medical schools must not only supply doctors to the clinical front line, but also train medical researchers; balancing the two is very important.)

Don't Say

• 输送 when describing delivery of small consumer goods in everyday retail contexts — use 配送 (to deliver) or 运送 (to transport) instead; 输送 carries connotations of large-scale, systematic supply and sounds overly formal or technical for describing ordinary parcel deliveries

Origin & History

输 (to transport; to convey — 车 carriage + 俞 hollow passage) + 送 (to send; to deliver — 辶 movement + 关 pass through)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal