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流浪 (liú làng) — to wander, to roam (often implying homelessness or lack of fixed abode)

Definition

流浪 means to wander or roam without a fixed home, often implying hardship. Unlike 逛 (strolling for leisure), 流浪 carries a sense of displacement; 漂泊 is a close literary near-synonym emphasizing an unsettled life.

verb
to wanderto roam (often implying homelessness or lack of fixed abode)

Examples

  • 流浪，。
    Tā nián qīng shí céng dào chù liú làng, hòu lái cái ān dìng xià lái.
    He wandered everywhere when he was young, and only later settled down.
  • 流浪。
    Zhè zhī liú làng māo zài xiǎo qū lǐ zhù le hǎo jǐ nián.
    This stray cat has lived in the neighborhood for several years.
  • 流浪，。
    Hěn duō rén zài chéng shì lǐ liú làng, zhǎo bú dào wěn dìng de gōng zuò.
    Many people drift around in the city, unable to find stable work.

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liúdrift
浪làngwander

“流” (drift) and “浪” (wander) combine to describe moving about without a fixed home.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
良
良liáng浪làng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

浪 pairs 水 (water) with 良, which supplies the sound. The water part points to its meaning of waves.

Open 浪 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Society & Public Life

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