洪流 (hóng liú) — mighty torrent; powerful current (literal and m…

Definition

A powerful, surging torrent — used both literally for water and metaphorically for unstoppable forces like history or reform.

noun

mighty torrentpowerful current (literal and metaphorical)

Measure word · 股

洪流。
Hé shuǐ xíng chéng le yí dào jù dà de hóng liú.
The river water formed a mighty torrent.
洪流，。
Lì shǐ de hóng liú gǔn gǔn xiàng qián, bù kě zǔ dǎng.
The torrent of history rolls forward, unstoppable.
洪流。
Gǎi gé de hóng liú xí juǎn le zhěng gè guó jiā.
The torrent of reform swept across the entire country.

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.

洪 gives a flood, and 流 gives a current, together naming a powerful rushing flow.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

共

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

洪 is built from 水 (water) and 共 (gòng), with 共 giving the sound.

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.