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飘忽 (piāo hū) — to drift / wander (physically or figuratively); to be light and swift in movement; to be elusive, unpredictable

Definition

Literary verb: movement or feeling that floats, darts, and cannot be pinned down — covers drifting, swift flickering, and being hard to grasp (e.g. thoughts, shadows, explanations).

verb
to drift / wander (physically or figuratively)to be light and swift in movementto be elusiveunpredictable

Examples

  • 飘忽。
    Tā de sī xù piāo hū bú dìng.
    His thoughts drifted without settling.
  • 飘忽。
    Yǐng zi piāo hū yì shǎn jiù bú jiàn le.
    The shadow flickered swiftly and vanished.
  • 飘忽，。
    Zhè ge shuō fǎ bǐ jiào piāo hū, bù róng yì lǐ jiě.
    This explanation is rather elusive and not easy to understand.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

飘piāodrift
忽hūsudden

“飘” drifting and “忽” sudden; together suggest light, swift, unpredictable movement.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 飄; 飘 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
風風fēngwind
Sound part声符shēngfú
票
票piào飄piāo
Same sound today

The traditional form 飄 uses 票 for the sound and 風 for wind; the simplified 飘 is a shorthand.

Open 飘 →

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
勿
勿wù忽hū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

忽 combines 心, meaning heart, and 勿, used for its sound.

Open 忽 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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