中流 (zhōng liú) — midstream (middle of a river); average, middle…

Definition

Literally 'midstream', but at HSK 7 it is mostly used to mean 'middle level / average' in a fixed phrase like 中流水平. Concrete use for a river is rare.

noun

midstream (middle of a river)averagemiddle level (in quality, ability, or status)

中流。
Tā de chéng jì zài bān lǐ shǔ yú zhōng liú shuǐ píng.
His grades are at an average level in the class.
中流。
Zhè tiáo chuán zhèng xíng shǐ zài zhōng liú.
This boat is sailing in the midstream.
中流。
Zhè ge guó jiā de zhōng liú jiē jí zhèng zài zhuàng dà.
The middle class of this country is growing.

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.

中 gives middle and 流 gives stream/current, so the parts build midstream or an average level.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The original picture showed a flagpole with a drum in the middle, set up in the center of a field.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

㐬

㐬㐬流liú

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

流 has 水, water, and 㐬, which gives the sound. The water part matches meanings such as flow.