流逝 (liú shì) — (of time, memory, youth) to pass, to elapse | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

流逝 (liúshì) is used for time (and memories, youth) that passes and is gone — more literary and weighty than 推移, which covers time's development and a situation's evolution.

verb

(of time, memory, youth) to passto elapse

Examples

流逝，。
Shí guāng liú shì, guò qù de jiù zài yě huí bù lái le.
Time passes, and what's past can never come back.
流逝。
Nà xiē jì yì suí zhe suì yuè liú shì màn màn biàn dàn le.
Those memories have gradually faded as years passed.
流逝，。
Bú yào gǎn tàn shēng mìng liú shì dé tài kuài, zhēn xī dāng xià jiù hǎo.
Don't lament that life passes too fast; just cherish the present moment.

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 (flow) and 逝 (pass) together picture time moving away like a stream.

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.

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

辵辵chuòwalking

Sound part声符shēngfú

折

折zhé逝shì

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

逝 combines 辵, a walking part, with 折, which gives the sound.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 Time (Abstract)

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