流速 (liú sù) — flow velocity; rate of flow

Definition

noun

flow velocityrate of flow

Easily confused

流速。
Zhè tiáo hé de liú sù fēi cháng kuài.
The flow velocity of this river is very fast.
流速。
Gōng chéng shī cè liáng le guǎn dào nèi de liú sù.
The engineer measured the flow velocity inside the pipe.
流速。
Yè tǐ liú sù yǔ yā lì yǒu guān.
The flow velocity of a liquid is related to pressure.

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.

流 means flow and 速 means speed, so it names flow velocity.

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

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chuò

Sound part声符shēngfú

束

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

速 pairs 辵, the walking part, with 束, which is used for its sound; the walking part fits the meaning of moving fast.