河流 (hé liú) — river | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

河流 is the general, written/formal word for 'river' as a natural water system. It contrasts with the everyday 河 (single river); 江 names a specific river (like 长江), and 水流 refers to the flowing water/current itself.

noun

river

Measure word · 条

Examples

河流。
Zhè tiáo hé liú hěn cháng.
This river is very long.
河流。
Zhè tiáo hé liú de shuǐ hěn gān jìng.
The water in this river is very clean.
河流。
Zhè ge chéng shì yǒu yì tiáo hé liú.
There is a river in this city.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

流liúcurrent

河 is a river and 流 is a current, together naming a watercourse.

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

水水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

何

何hé河hé

Same sound today

河 pairs 水 (water) with 何, which gives the sound. The 水 part marks it as a word for a river.

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.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 5 Geography & Landforms

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