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顺风 (shùn fēng) — (noun) tailwind, favorable wind; (verb-object) to have a favorable wind; to go with the wind; (in farewells) smooth journey, good luck

Definition

A tailwind or wind blowing in the direction you are traveling — literally 'favorable wind.' Often used as a farewell wish for a smooth trip (一路顺风).

noun
tailwindfavorable wind
verb
(verb-object) to have a favorable windto go with the wind(in farewells) smooth journeygood luck

Examples

  • 顺风，。
    Jīn tiān chū hǎi yǒu shùn fēng, chuán zǒu dé hěn kuài.
    Today we went out to sea with a tailwind, and the boat went very fast.
  • ！
    Zhù nǐ yí lù shùn fēng!
    Wish you a smooth journey!
  • 顺风，。
    Chuán shùn fēng ér xíng, sù dù hěn kuài.
    The boat goes with the wind, so it's very fast.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

顺shùnfollow
风fēngwind

顺 means to follow or go with, and 风 is wind, so the word denotes moving with a favorable wind.

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 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 风 →
Appears in
Weather

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