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对流 (duì liú) — to convect, to undergo convection

Definition

Technical/physical-science verb: when a fluid (air, water, magma) moves in a circulating current that transfers heat. Common in meteorology, geology, and physics contexts.

verb
to convectto undergo convection

Examples

  • 对流。
    Nuǎn shī kōng qì xiàng shàng duì liú xíng chéng yún céng.
    Warm moist air convects upward to form clouds.
  • 对流。
    Dì màn wù zhì huǎn màn duì liú qū dòng bǎn kuài yùn dòng.
    Mantle material slowly convects, driving plate tectonics.
  • 对流。
    Shì nèi qǔ nuǎn qì huì shǐ kōng qì zì rán duì liú.
    An indoor heater causes air to convect naturally.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

对duìopposite
流liúflow

对流 pairs 对 (opposite) and 流 (flow) to mean a flow in opposing directions.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 對; 对 is its simplified writing.

For the traditional form 對, the shape comes from an early drawing of 丵 (a digging tool), 土 (earth), and 又 (a hand); it may have meant developing land.

Open 对 →

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
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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