送
to give (as a gift); to deliver; to see off
sòng
What does 送 mean?
送 (sòng) is a verb with three connected core meanings that English splits across separate words. First, 'to give as a gift' — 送礼物 (sòng lǐwù) means to present a gift, distinct from 给 (gěi) 'to hand over,' which carries no gift connotation. Second, 'to deliver' — used for packages, food delivery, mail (送外卖 sòng wàimài, 'deliver takeout'). Third, 'to see (someone) off' or 'escort' — 送你回家 means 'walk you home' or 'take you home.' Chinese culture values 送 as a courtesy: hosts traditionally walk guests to the door or even down to the street. Stores also use 送 for free items: 买二送一 (mǎi èr sòng yī) 'buy two get one free.' The throughline is 'something or someone moves from you to a destination on your initiative.'
Character breakdown
to send; to give; to escort
Memory hook: Think of the radical 辶 (walk) — 送 always involves something MOVING from you to a destination, whether a gift, a package, or a guest.
Example sentences
我想送妈妈一个礼物。
Wǒ xiǎng sòng māma yí ge lǐwù.
I want to give Mom a gift.
neutral
外面下雨，我送你回家吧。
Wàimiàn xià yǔ, wǒ sòng nǐ huí jiā ba.
It's raining outside, let me take you home.
spoken
买两件衣服送一件。
Mǎi liǎng jiàn yīfu sòng yí jiàn.
Buy two pieces of clothing, get one free.
neutral
他每天送孩子上学。
Tā měi tiān sòng háizi shàng xué.
He takes the kids to school every day.
neutral
这是朋友送我的。
Zhè shì péngyou sòng wǒ de.
This was a gift from a friend.
spoken
Common phrases with 送
Hear it in real Fluentide episodes
送 appears in 1 podcast episode at natural native speed, with full Chinese script, pinyin, and line-by-line English translation.
Synonyms
给 means 'to give' in the basic transactional sense — handing something over. 送 specifically means to give as a gift (no payment expected), or to deliver/escort. 'Give me the book' = 给我书; 'I'll give you a present' = 我送你一个礼物。
寄 means 'to send by mail/post.' 送 is hand-delivered or escorted. Use 寄 for letters and packages going through the postal system; 送 for things you (or a courier) deliver in person.
递 is 'to pass' or 'to hand over' — typically over a short distance (递我一支笔 'pass me a pen'). 送 implies traveling some distance to deliver.
Don't confuse 送 with
Both translate to 'give,' but 给 is neutral handing-over (often with payment context), while 送 carries the meaning 'as a gift' or 'with effort to deliver.' If a friend gives you something for free, it's 送; if a clerk gives you change, it's 给.
运 is 'to transport' — usually large-scale freight or cargo. 送 is more personal delivery: a package, a gift, a person.
迎 is 'to welcome' or 'go meet' someone arriving. 送 is the opposite — to see them off when they leave. 迎来送往 (yíng lái sòng wǎng) is the idiom 'welcome those who come, see off those who go.'