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划水 (huá shuǐ) — (literal) to paddle water, to flail in swimming; (slang) to slack off, to go through the motions (in a team setting)

Definition

划水 (huá) literally means 'to paddle' but in modern slang it means 'to slack off or go through the motions' — usually in a team or work setting, as if you're just moving your arms without actually doing anything.

verb
(literal) to paddle waterto flail in swimming(slang) to slack offto go through the motions (in a team setting)

Examples

  • 划水。
    Tā zài yóu yǒng chí lǐ huá shuǐ.
    He is paddling in the swimming pool.
  • 。
    Tā jīn tiān yòu zài tuán duì lǐ huà le yì tiān de shuǐ.
    He slacked off in the team again today for a whole day.
  • 划水，！
    Bié huá shuǐ le, kuài bāng máng!
    Stop slacking off, help out!

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

划huàpaddle
水shuǐwater

划 'paddle' with 水 'water' gives paddling, then slang for going through motions.

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
刀刀dāo
Sound part声符shēngfú
戈
戈gē划huá
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

划 is made of 刀, a knife, and 戈, a weapon. The 戈 part gives the sound.

Open 划 →

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

水 is a simple drawing of water flowing.

Open 水 →
Appears in
Sports & AthleticsWorkplace & Office

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