支流 (zhī liú) — tributary (of a river)

Definition

A 支流 is a tributary — a smaller river that flows into a larger one. Compare 河流 (a river in general) and 水流 (the flow/current of water).

noun

tributary (of a river)

Measure word · 条

支流。
Huáng hé de zhī liú zhǔ yào lái zì xī běi dì qū.
The tributaries of the Yellow River mainly come from the northwest region.
支流。
Zhè zhāng dì tú shàng biāo chū le suǒ yǒu zhǔ yào de zhī liú.
This map marks all the major tributaries.
支流。
zhī liú De shuǐ liàng shòu jì jié yǐng xiǎng hěn dà.
The water volume of tributaries is greatly affected by the seasons.

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.

支 means branch and 流 means stream, so together they describe a branch stream joining a river.

Characters in this word

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

又十支

支 pairs 又 (hand) with 十, a shortened form of 竹 (bamboo), to picture a bamboo branch.

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.

Appears in