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流量 (liú liàng) — flow rate; volume of traffic (vehicles, passengers, fluid); data traffic; network traffic; mobile data usage

Definition

流量 (liúliàng) means the volume or rate of flow — used for vehicles, people, fluids, and (in modern Chinese) mobile/internet data. It measures HOW MUCH passes through, unlike 流程 which names a procedure or 水流 which refers to the flowing water itself.

noun
flow ratevolume of traffic (vehicles, passengers, fluid)data trafficnetwork trafficmobile data usage

Examples

  • ，。
    Dì tiě zhàn de rén liú liàng hěn dà, zǎo wǎn gāo fēng tè bié jǐ.
    The subway station has a lot of foot traffic; it's especially crowded during rush hours.
  • 流量，。
    Zhè ge yuè wǒ de shǒu jī liú liàng kuài yòng wán le, dé mǎi yí gè jiā yóu bāo.
    My mobile data is almost used up this month; I need to buy a top-up package.
  • 流量。
    Zhè tiáo gāo sù gōng lù de liú liàng bǐ qù nián zēng jiā le bǎi fēn zhī èr shí.
    The traffic volume on this highway has increased by 20% compared to last year.

Origin

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.

流liúflow
量liángquantity

The 流 (flow) and 量 (quantity) combine to mean how much flows.

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
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 →

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

  • 日日rìsun
  • 東東dōngbag; east

量 has 日 (sun) over 東 (bag; east). Some explanations suggest measuring under the sun or the sun rising in the east, but the exact origin is unclear.

Open 量 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6Computers & Internet

Browse more HSK 6 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.