Chinese word

波浪

Pronunciation

Pinyinbō làng

Meaning

  • nounwave

Example

海边的波浪很大，我们别下水。hǎi biān de bō làng hěn dà wǒ men bié xià shuǐ

The waves at the beach are big, so let's not go into the water.

Illustration for 波浪 (wave)

More examples

夜里，波浪拍打着海堤，发出低沉的声响。yè lǐ bō làng pāi dǎ zhe hǎi dī fā chū dī chén de shēng xiǎng

At night, waves beat against the seawall, making a low rumbling sound.

Core concept

A repeated rise and fall that travels across a water surface, extending by analogy to any rolling undulation.

Common phrases

  • 波浪起伏bō làng qǐ fú

    wave undulation

  • 波浪拍打bō làng pāi dǎ

    waves beat

Similar words

波bō: A rise and fall that appears on the surface of water.
海浪hǎi làng: A sea wave described in ordinary daily speech.

Definition in Chinese

由于风力、船只或潮汐等作用，海面或水体表面产生的连续起伏，形成一系列波峰和波谷，也可泛指类似的起伏现象。yóu yú fēng lì chuán zhī huò cháo xī děng zuò yòng hǎi miàn huò shuí tǐ biǎo miàn chǎn shēng de lián xù qǐ fú xíng chéng yí xì liè bō fēng hé bō gǔ yě kě fàn zhǐ lèi sì de qǐ fú xiàn xiàng

Word origin

波浪 (bōlàng, "wave") combines 波 (bō, "wave") and 浪 (làng, "surge"), two terms for moving or rising water, so the compound evokes a repeated water swell.

Usage tips

  • In ordinary talk about the sea, everyday speakers often choose a shorter expression, while this term is common in weather forecasts, marine safety notices, and technical descriptions.

Other meanings

  • swellnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 波浪形bō làng xíngwavyadjective
  • 波浪运动bō làng yùn dòngwave motionnoun

Word lists with this word