递给
dìgěi · HSK 5
Handle
🤝 递 = hand over + 给 = give; literally 'hand-over-give' = pass to someone
递 means to pass/hand something along (often in sequence, like a relay), and 给 marks the recipient. Together 递给 = hand X to Y. Common pattern: 递给 + person + object, e.g. 递给我那本书 = hand me that book.
递 — 辶 (walk) + 弟 (younger brother, phonetic)
递 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The 辶 radical means 'walk/movement,' giving the sense of carrying or passing something along a path. 弟 supplies the sound. The character originally meant to hand over or pass in succession, which extends to modern senses like 'deliver' and 'in turn.'
给 — silk radical 纟 + 合 (combine)
Originally a phono-semantic compound: 纟 (silk) hinted at the meaning of joining threads tightly, while 合 ('combine, join') gave the sound. The early sense was 'supply' or 'provide,' which extended naturally to 'give.' In modern Mandarin it splits into gěi ('give') and jǐ ('supply').