字 Kanji Decipher

Meaning & readings

escort, send

On’yomi ソウ
Kun’yomi おく.る

Origin

The character 送 combines two components: a radical meaning "walk" or "move" on the left, and a component on the right that suggests forward motion or progression. Together, these parts create the idea of accompanying someone or something from one place to another — you walk alongside or propel something forward until it reaches its destination. This compound meaning naturally led to the word's sense of "sending" or "escorting" someone on their way. The visual idea of movement in two directions captures the core action of sending something off.

送 9 strokes

Components

  • 关 meaning part position.nyoc
  • ⻌ radical bottom-left wrap

Common words

  • 移送 いそう transfer; transport
  • 回送 かいそう forwarding; sending on
  • 護送 ごそう escort (e.g. under guard); convoy
  • 葬送 そうそう attending a funeral procession; seeing off the deceased
  • 送り おくり seeing off; sending off
  • 送る おくる to send; to dispatch
  • 送還 そうかん sending home; repatriation
  • 送金 そうきん remittance; sending money

Related kanji

Same radical
Shares components

Easily confused with

These look alike but are unrelated in meaning — check the stroke that differs.

Reference

Strokes
9
Kangxi radical
162
Formation type
Compound ideographic (combined meanings)
Grade
Grade 3 (Kyōiku)
Frequency rank
#311 (newspapers)
Former JLPT
level 3
Unicode
U+09001