飘荡 (piāo dàng) — to drift (in air or on water); to flutter (in the wind)

Definition

Paints slow, aimless motion through air or on water — kites, flags, boats. More lingering and weightless than 飘 (which just means 'to float / drift fleetingly').

verb
to drift (in air or on water)to flutter (in the wind)

Examples

  • 飘荡。
    Fēng zheng zài kōng zhōng piāo dàng.
    The kite was drifting in the air.
  • 飘荡。
    Xiān yàn de qí zi zài fēng zhōng piāo dàng.
    The bright flag fluttered in the wind.
  • 飘荡。
    Xiǎo chuán zài hú miàn shàng qīng qīng piāo dàng.
    The little boat drifted gently on the lake.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

飘piāofloat
荡dàngsway

飘 means float and 荡 means sway, so the word names drifting and fluttering about.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 蕩; 荡 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 荡 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words it is 蕩; in others it is 盪.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
湯
湯tāng蕩dàng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

About the traditional form 蕩: it is made of 艹 (grass, written fully as 艸) and 湯, which gives the sound. The simplified 荡 is only a later shorthand.

Open 荡 →

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