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分流 (fēn liú) — (of a river, traffic, etc.) to diverge, to branch off, to be diverted; to redirect or channel (people, goods, resources) to different places

Definition

Used for splitting a flow into separate paths — rivers, traffic lanes, or people being redirected (e.g. to new towns or jobs). Often implies a planned, systematic diversion rather than natural branching.

verb
(of a river, traffic, etc.) to divergeto branch offto be divertedto redirect or channel (people, goods, resources) to different places

Examples

  • 分流，。
    Zhè tiáo hé zài chéng shì xī biān fēn liú, fēn chéng liǎng tiáo zhī liú.
    This river diverges west of the city, splitting into two tributaries.
  • 分流。
    Zhèng fǔ jì huà fēn liú bù fen rén kǒu dào jiāo qū de xīn chéng.
    The government plans to divert part of the population to a new town in the suburbs.
  • 。
    Zhè ge lù kǒu xū yào fēn sān cì liú cái néng wán quán shū sàn chē liàng.
    This intersection needs to be re-routed three times to completely clear the vehicles.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

分fēnseparate
流liúflow

分 (separate) and 流 (flow) combine to mean branch off or divert a flow.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

分 pairs 八 (to separate) with 刀 (knife), showing something cut apart with a knife.

Open 分 →

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 →
Appears in
Change & Process

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