潮流 (cháo liú) — tide, current (of water); trend, fashion | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

潮流 covers both the literal 'tide/current' and the figurative 'trend/fashion'. For trends, it's broader than 趋势 (which emphasizes direction/tendency) and more fashionable-connoted than 动向 (neutral 'movement').

noun

tidecurrent (of water)trendfashion

Examples

潮流，。
Hǎi shàng de cháo liú hěn qiáng, chuán kāi dé hěn màn.
The current at sea is strong, so the boat moves slowly.
潮流。
Zhè zhǒng cháo liú hěn kuài jiù huì guò shí.
This trend will quickly go out of style.
潮流。
Hěn duō rén dōu xǐ huan gēn zhe cháo liú zǒu.
Many people like to follow the trend.

Origin

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.

潮 is the tide, and 流 is the moving water, so together they mean a current or trend.

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.

氵朝潮

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

朝

朝cháo潮cháo

Same sound today

潮 has 氵, the water form 水, on the left to show a water connection, with 朝 on the right giving the 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

HSK 3.0 Level 6 HSK 2.0 Level 6 Abstract Concepts

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