漂流 (piāo liú) — to drift, to float (physically on water or meta… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

漂流 emphasizes movement WITH the current, in water or in life — the boat or person goes wherever the flow takes them. Compared with 漂浮 (static hovering) and 漂泊 (wandering far from home), 漂流 stresses being carried along.

verb

to driftto float (physically on water or metaphorically in life)

Examples

漂流。
Zhè tiáo xiǎo chuán zài hé shàng huǎn huǎn piāo liú.
This small boat is slowly drifting on the river.
漂流，。
Tā bì yè hòu yì zhí zài shè huì shàng piāo liú, méi yǒu zhǎo dào fāng xiàng.
After graduation, he has been drifting in society without finding direction.
漂流。
Tā de sī xù suí zhe yīn yuè qīng qīng piāo liú.
Her thoughts drifted gently with the music.

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 and 流 both describe moving on water, so the word means to drift.

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.

氵票漂

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.

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.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 Boats & Water Travel

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