漂洋过海 (piāo yáng guò hǎi) — to travel far across the ocean; (figurative) to go on a difficult, long-distance journey

Definition

A vivid chengyu meaning to travel across the ocean — used literally for long sea voyages and figuratively for any grueling long-distance journey.

verb
to travel far across the ocean(figurative) to go on a difficultlong-distance journey
Easily confused

Examples

  • 漂洋过海，。
    Tā piāo yáng guò hǎi lái dào zhōng guó liú xué, fēi cháng bù róng yì.
    He crossed the ocean to study in China — it was really not easy.
  • ，漂洋过海。
    Wèi le jiàn tā yí miàn, tā piāo yáng guò hǎi cóng měi guó fēi lái le.
    In order to see her, he flew all the way from the United States across the ocean.
  • 漂洋过海，。
    piāo yáng guò hǎi Jǐ shí nián hòu, tā zhōng yú huí dào le gù xiāng.
    After decades of travel across the oceans, he finally returned to his hometown.

Origin

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
票
票piào漂piǎo
Same sound today

漂 pairs 氵 (water) with 票, which gives its sound.

Open 漂 →

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
羊
羊yáng洋yáng
Same sound today

洋 pairs 氵, the water part, with 羊 to give its sound.

Open 洋 →

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 過; 过 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
咼
咼wāi過guò
Same sound today

The traditional form 過 pairs 辵 (walk) with 咼 as a sound component; the simplified 过 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 过 →

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
每
每měi海hǎi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

海 pairs 氵 (water) with 每, which gives the sound. The 氵 side shows it is about water.

Open 海 →

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