顺流而下 (shùn liú ér xià) — to sail or drift downstream with the current; to go with the flow; to follow the prevailing trend

Definition

Literally 'go down with the current,' this idiom means both literally sailing downstream and, figuratively, going along with prevailing trends or fate. The figurative sense can carry a passive, easy connotation — like 'go with the flow' in English.

idiom
to sail or drift downstream with the currentto go with the flowto follow the prevailing trend

Examples

  • 顺流而下，。
    Wǒ men zuò chuán yán zhe hé liú shùn liú ér xià, xīn shǎng liǎng àn de fēng jǐng.
    We took a boat sailing downstream along the river, enjoying the scenery on both sides.
  • ，顺流而下，。
    Zài shì chǎng shàng, xǔ duō gōng sī xuǎn zé shùn liú ér xià, gēn suí zhǔ liú qū shì.
    In the market, many companies choose to go with the flow and follow the mainstream trend.
  • 顺流而下，。
    Tā jué dìng shùn liú ér xià, bú zài yǔ mìng yùn kàng zhēng.
    He decided to go with the flow and stop fighting against fate.

Origin

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 順; 顺 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yè
Sound part声符shēngfú
川
川chuān順shùn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 順 pairs 川 (river), which gives the sound, with 頁 (head); the picture is a head in a river, following the current. The simplified 顺 is a shorthand.

Open 顺 →

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 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 而 is a picture of a beard.

Open 而 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

下 is drawn as a short horizontal line below a long curved line.

Open 下 →

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