干流 (gàn liú) — trunk stream (main channel of a river); mainstream (dominant trend or current)

Definition

Examples

• 这条河的干流很长，支流也很多。
  Zhè tiáo hé de gàn liú hěn cháng, zhī liú yě hěn duō.
  The trunk stream of this river is very long, and it has many tributaries.
• 学术界的干流观点正在发生变化。
  Xué shù jiè de gàn liú guān diǎn zhèng zài fā shēng biàn huà.
  The mainstream view in academia is changing.
• 长江的干流流经多个省份。
  Cháng jiāng de gàn liú liú jīng duō gè shěng fèn.
  The trunk stream of the Yangtze River flows through multiple provinces.