溪流 (xī liú) — brook, small stream | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

brooksmall stream

Measure word · 条

Examples

溪流。
Shān jiān de xī liú qīng chè jiàn dǐ.
The brook in the mountains is crystal clear.
溪流。
Wǒ men yán zhe xī liú zǒu le hěn jiǔ.
We walked along the brook for a long time.
溪流。
Zhè tiáo xī liú de shuǐ kě yǐ zhí jiē hē.
The water from this brook can be drunk directly.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

溪 and 流 both refer to flowing water, together giving a small 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.

氵奚溪

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐ

Sound part声符shēngfú

奚

奚xī溪xī

Same sound today

The 氵 on the left shows the character is about water, and 奚 on the right gives its sound.

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.

Appears in

Geography & Landforms

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