verb / noun HSK 4
to flow · to drift · stream · current
Meaning
流 primarily means 'to flow' like water or air moving in a continuous stream. It can describe liquids, tears, air, or even abstract things like time and information flowing. As a noun, it refers to a stream, current, or flow of something.
Usage
Very common in both everyday speech and written Chinese. Often appears in compounds related to movement, circulation, or trends. Frequently used to describe bodily fluids (流血 'to bleed', 流汗 'to sweat'), social phenomena (流行 'popular, trendy'), and movements of people or things (流动 'to circulate').
Examples
- 01河水静静地流着。.The river water flows quietly.
- 02她感动得流下了眼泪。.She was so moved that she shed tears.
Measure words
- 股一股水流
- 道一道水流
Common collocations
- 流泪to shed tears
- 流血to bleed
- 流汗to sweat
- 流传to spread, to circulate
Antonyms
Origin
Oracle bone script shows water flowing between banks. The character combines the water radical 氵(水) with 㐬, which depicts something flowing or spreading.