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合流 (hé liú) — (of rivers, roads, etc.) to flow together, to converge; (of ideas, styles, schools) to merge, to blend; (of people, groups) to collaborate, to join forces

Definition

Literally “rivers flowing together” — used as a verb for streams, roads, ideas, styles, or groups converging into one. Implies a natural merging rather than a forced partnership.

verb
(of rivers, roads, etc.) to flow togetherto converge(of ideas, styles, schools) to mergeto blend(of people, groups) to collaborateto join forces

Examples

  • 合流。
    Cháng jiāng hé hàn jiāng zài wǔ hàn hé liú.
    The Yangtze and Han rivers converge in Wuhan.
  • 合流。
    Zhè liǎng zhǒng yì shù fēng gé zài jìn dài hé liú.
    These two artistic styles merged in modern times.
  • 合流，。
    Liǎng jiā gōng sī jué dìng hé liú, gòng tóng kāi fā xīn shì chǎng.
    The two companies decided to join forces and jointly develop new markets.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

合héjoin
流liúflow

合 conveys joining and 流 conveys flowing, so streams, roads, or groups come together.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

合 shows 亼 and 口 arranged as two mouths speaking together.

Open 合 →

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shuǐwater
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.

Open 流 →
Appears in
Abstract ConceptsGeography & Landforms

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