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冲浪 (chōng làng) — to surf (waves); to surf, to browse (the internet, informally)

Definition

冲浪 (chōng làng) is a compound verb meaning 'to surf' — either ocean waves or (informally) the internet. The 浪 is a literal clue: this word is about riding waves, not the 冲 'dash/flush/rinse' verbs (冲洗, 冲撞).

verb
to surf (waves)to surfto browse (the internet, informally)

Examples

  • 。
    Wǒ qù nián zài hǎi biān chōng guò yí cì làng.
    I surfed once at the beach last year.
  • 冲浪。
    Tā měi gè zhōu mò dōu qù hǎi biān chōng làng.
    He goes surfing at the beach every weekend.
  • 冲浪，。
    Tā jīng cháng zài wǎng shàng chōng làng, kàn xīn wén hé shì pín.
    She often surfs the internet, looking at news and videos.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

冲chōngdash
浪làngwave

冲 (dash) with 浪 (wave) names the action of riding waves.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 衝; 冲 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 冲 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (冲, 冲动) it is 衝; in others (冲) it is 沖.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
行行xíng
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng衝chōng
Same sound today

The traditional form 衝 shows 重 inside 行, with 行 as the meaning part and 重 as the sound part; the simplified 冲 is a later shorthand.

Open 冲 →

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
水水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
良
良liáng浪làng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

浪 pairs 水 (water) with 良, which supplies the sound. The water part points to its meaning of waves.

Open 浪 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Computers & InternetSports & Athletics3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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