奔腾 (bēn téng) — (verb) to gallop (of horses); (verb) to surge forward; to roll on (of waves, water); (verb, figurative) to advance vigorously; to develop rapidly

Definition

A vivid literary verb meaning 'to surge forward / gallop on' — used for horses, waves, and abstract forces like progress or emotion. Conveys rapid, powerful, continuous motion, stronger and more poetic than everyday verbs like 发展.

verb
to gallop (of horses)to surge forwardto roll on (of waves, water)(verb, figurative) to advance vigorouslyto develop rapidly

Examples

  • 奔腾，礴。
    Wàn mǎ bēn téng, qì shì páng bó.
    Ten thousand horses gallop, with overwhelming momentum.
  • 奔腾。
    Sī xù rú cháo shuǐ bān bēn téng ér lái.
    Thoughts come surging in like a tide.
  • ，奔腾，。
    Jìn nián lái, zhè jiā qǐ yè bēn téng fā zhǎn, xùn sù chéng wéi háng yè lóng tóu.
    In recent years, this enterprise has advanced vigorously and rapidly become an industry leader.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

奔bēnrun
腾téngleap

奔 (run) and 腾 (leap) together form a vivid image of galloping or surging forward.

Characters in this word

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

奔 combines 人 (person) and 止 (foot), giving the picture of a person moving on foot.

Open 奔 →

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 騰; 腾 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
馬馬mǎhorse
Sound part声符shēngfú
朕
朕zhèn騰téng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 騰 pairs 馬 (horse) with 朕 as a sound part; it described a horse's gallop or prance. The simplified 腾 is a later shorthand.

Open 腾 →

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