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川流不息 (chuān liú bù xī) — (idiom) flowing without end; continuous stream (of people, vehicles, etc.)

Definition

Describes a continuous, unceasing flow of people or vehicles. Like 络绎不绝 and 源源不断, it pictures an endless stream, but specifically highlights the movement (流) itself.

idiom
flowing without endcontinuous stream (of people, vehicles, etc.)

Examples

  • 川流不息，。
    Jié jià rì de bù xíng jiē shàng rén cháo chuān liú bù xī, fēi cháng rè nao.
    On holidays, the pedestrian street has an endless flow of people and is very lively.
  • ，川流不息。
    Shàng xià bān gāo fēng shí, chéng shì de chē liú chuān liú bù xī.
    During rush hour, the city's traffic flows without end.
  • 川流不息，。
    Zhè ge lǚ yóu jǐng diǎn měi tiān yóu kè chuān liú bù xī, cóng zǎo dào wǎn bù tíng.
    This tourist attraction has a continuous stream of visitors every day, from morning to night.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

川 is drawn to look like flowing water.

Open 川 →

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 →

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

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

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

In 息, 自 is nose and 心 is heart, showing breath or life passing through one's nose.

Open 息 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6

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