飘飘 (piāo piāo) — lightly, as if floating or drifting (describing…

Definition

Used as an adverb with 地 to describe movement that's light, floating, or unsteady — like leaves drifting on wind or a person walking unsteadily after drinking.

adverb

lightlyas if floating or drifting (describing movement through air)in a dazed or unsteady manner (from alcohol, dizziness, etc.)

Examples

，飘飘。
Qiū fēng yì chuī, shù yè jiù piāo piāo dì luò xià lái.
When the autumn wind blows, the leaves fall lightly.
，飘飘。
Tā de qún zi bèi fēng yì chuī, piāo piāo dì piāo le qǐ lái.
Her skirt, blown by the wind, fluttered lightly upward.
，飘飘，。
Hē le diǎn jiǔ, tā zǒu lù piāo piāo dì, hǎo xiàng zhàn bù wěn.
After drinking a bit, he walked unsteadily, as if he couldn't stand firm.

Origin

Reduplicated word

构词法gòucífǎ

重叠chóngdiéReduplication

A syllable said twice — for affection, for softness, or simply because that is how the word is said.

飘piāodrift

飘 evokes light drifting, and the two 飘 suggest a soft, floating or dazed manner.

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.

票風飄

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 →