狂潮 (kuáng cháo) — surging tide; (figurative) wave, upsurge (of emotion, activity, or social movement)

Definition

A 'surging tide' used mostly in the figurative sense — a powerful wave of emotion, social movement, or activity (e.g., a wave of reform). Use 浪潮 for a broader 'tide/trend', especially of thought or fashion.

noun
surging tide(figurative) waveupsurge (of emotion, activity, or social movement)

Examples

  • 狂潮。
    Hǎi shàng de kuáng cháo pāi dǎ zhe yán shí.
    The surging tide on the sea battered the rocks.
  • 狂潮。
    Gǎi gé de kuáng cháo xí juǎn le zhěng gè guó jiā.
    The wave of reform swept across the entire country.
  • 狂潮。
    Tā xīn zhōng de kuáng cháo nán yǐ píng xī.
    The surging emotions in his heart were hard to calm.

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.

狂kuángwild
潮cháotide

狂 (wild) and 潮 (tide) combine to picture a violent, surging tide.

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
犭Written in full as犬quǎndog
Sound part声符shēngfú
㞷
㞷㞷狂kuáng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

狂 pairs 犭 (dog) with 㞷, which gives the sound; 㞷 is an old form of a character meaning 'to go'.

Open 狂 →

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
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.

Open 潮 →

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