涓涓 (juān juān) — (literary, adverb) trickling slowly and steadily, in a gentle stream

Definition

A literary adverb meaning 'trickling slowly and steadily' — a bound form usually written reduplicated (涓涓) to paint gentle, continuous flow, as of streams or tears.

bound form
(literary, adverb) trickling slowly and steadilyin a gentle stream

Examples

  • 涓涓，。
    Shān jiān juān juān xī shuǐ, qīng chè jiàn dǐ.
    A clear mountain stream trickles gently, so clear you can see the bottom.
  • 涓涓。
    Tā de lèi shuǐ juān juān ér xià.
    Her tears trickled down slowly.
  • 涓涓。
    juān juān Xì liú huì chéng dà hé.
    Small trickling streams converge into a great river.

Origin

Reduplicated word
构词法gòucífǎ
重叠chóngdiéReduplication

A syllable said twice — for affection, for softness, or simply because that is how the word is said.

涓juāntrickle
涓juāntrickle

The repeated 涓 evokes a thin, steady trickling flow.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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