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漂泊 (piāo bó) — to drift (of a boat); to float; (figurative) to wander; to lead a wandering existence

Definition

Literary verb for a long, unsettled wandering — often away from home for years. Stronger and more serious than 流浪, and broader than 漂 (which is just floating on water).

verb
to drift (of a boat)to float(figurative) to wanderto lead a wandering existence

Examples

  • 漂泊。
    Nà sōu xiǎo chuán zài hǎi shàng piāo bó le hěn jiǔ.
    That small boat drifted at sea for a long time.
  • ，漂泊。
    Tā cóng xiǎo jiù lí kāi jiā xiāng, zài wài piāo bó le jǐ shí nián.
    He left his hometown as a child and wandered outside for decades.
  • 漂泊？
    Nǐ yuàn yì piāo bó yí bèi zi ma?
    Are you willing to wander your whole life?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

漂piāofloat
泊bómoor

漂 and 泊 both involve water, together giving the image of drifting and mooring, hence wandering.

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
票
票piào漂piǎo
Same sound today

漂 pairs 氵 (water) with 票, which gives its sound.

Open 漂 →

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

The 水 part shows water. The 白 part gives the sound, and the picture is of a ship staying still after running aground in shallow water.

Open 泊 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Travel & Tourism

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