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速递 (sù dì) — (noun) courier service; express delivery; (verb) to send by courier; to express

Definition

速递 means 'express delivery' (noun) or 'to send by express courier' (verb), with emphasis on speed. Compare 快递, which is the more everyday term for the same service; 速递 sounds more formal and is common in company names and written contexts.

noun
courier serviceexpress delivery
verb
to send by courierto express

Examples

  • 速递。
    Wǒ zuó tiān yòng sù dì jì le yí gè bāo guǒ.
    I sent a package by courier yesterday.
  • 速递。
    Zhè jiā sù dì gōng sī fú wù hěn hǎo.
    This courier company has good service.
  • 速递。
    Qǐng bǎ zhè ge wén jiàn sù dì gěi kè hù.
    Please courier this document to the client.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

速sùexpress
递dìdeliver

速 means express and 递 means deliver, giving express delivery.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
束
束shù速sù
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

速 pairs 辵, the walking part, with 束, which is used for its sound; the walking part fits the meaning of moving fast.

Open 速 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
弟
弟dì递dì
Same sound today

递 is built from 辶 (written in full as 辵) and 弟; 辶 is the meaning part and 弟 is the sound part.

Open 递 →
Appears in
Mail & Messaging

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