沿着 (yán zhe) — along (a path, line, or route); following

Definition

沿着 marks the path or route an action follows (walk along, line, follow). Pairs with a noun or noun phrase for the route; often reduplicates with 着 to indicate continuous movement.

verb

along (a path, line, or route)following

Examples

沿着。
Wǒ men yán zhe zhè tiáo lù yì zhí zǒu jiù dào le.
We just walk along this road and we'll be there.
沿着。
Hé àn liǎng biān yán zhe zhe liǔ shù.
Willow trees line both sides of the riverbank.
沿着。
yán zhe Zhè ge hǎi tān màn bù fēi cháng làng màn.
Strolling along this beach is very romantic.

Origin

Derived word

构词法gòucífǎ

后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

沿yánalong

着zhecontinuing

沿 gives following a route, and 着 extends it as a continuing path.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

㕣

㕣㕣沿yán

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

沿 pairs 氵 (water) with 㕣, which shows how it was pronounced; it originally meant the edge of a river, which led to the sense of moving along something.

Open 沿 →

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 著; 着 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艸艸cǎograss; plant

Sound part声符shēngfú

者

者zhě著zháo

Same sound today

The traditional form 著 puts 艸 (grass; plant) above 者, which gives the sound; the simplified 着 is a later shorthand.

Open 着 →

Appears in