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流动 (liú dòng) — (of liquids, gases) to flow; (of people, goods) to circulate, to be mobile; (of assets) to be liquid, to circulate

Definition

A general verb meaning 'to flow / circulate / move from place to place' — applies to liquids, gases, people, goods, and capital. Broader than 流 (mostly liquids/news) and more everyday than 流通, which is used for air, money, and information.

verb
(of liquids, gases) to flow(of people, goods) to circulateto be mobile(of assets) to be liquidto circulate

Examples

  • 流动。
    Zhè tiáo hé měi nián xià tiān dōu huì liú dòng dé hěn kuài.
    This river flows very fast every summer.
  • ，流动。
    Chūn jié qián hòu, dà liàng rén kǒu zài chéng shì jiān liú dòng.
    Around the Spring Festival, large numbers of people circulate between cities.
  • ，。
    Gōng sī de liú dòng zī jīn chōng zú, kě yǐ tóu zī xīn xiàng mù.
    The company's liquid capital is sufficient to invest in new projects.

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liúflow
动dòngmove

流 and 动 both express movement, so together they describe flowing or circulating.

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
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 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 動; 动 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng動dòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 動 uses 力 (strength) and 重 as a sound part; 重 refers to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human. This note is about 動, not 动.

Open 动 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6

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