洋流 (yáng liú) — ocean current

Definition

noun
ocean current
Measure word · 股

Examples

  • 洋流。
    yáng liú Duì quán qiú qì hòu yǒu zhòng yào yǐng xiǎng.
    Ocean currents have an important influence on the global climate.
  • 洋流。
    Kē xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū zhè tiáo yáng liú de xíng chéng yuán yīn.
    Scientists are studying the formation cause of this ocean current.
  • 洋流。
    Wēn nuǎn de yáng liú cóng chì dào liú xiàng jí dì.
    Warm ocean currents flow from the equator toward the poles.

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.

洋流 combines “洋” ocean with “流” flow, naming a current moving through the sea.

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
羊
羊yáng洋yáng
Same sound today

洋 pairs 氵, the water part, with 羊 to give its sound.

Open 洋 →

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 →

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