Chinese word

流动

Pronunciation

Pinyinliú dòng

Meaning

  • verbflow

Example

河水在夜里流动得很快。hé shuǐ zài yè lǐ liú dòng de hěn kuài

The water in the river flows very quickly at night.

Illustration for 流动 (flow)

More examples

资金在市场上流动得很快。zī jīn zài shì chǎng shàng liú dòng de hěn kuài

Funds flow very quickly in the market.

Core concept

A stream-like movement that keeps passing through a place, system, or network rather than staying still.

Common phrases

  • 资金流动zī jīn liú dòng

    funds flow

  • 人口流动rén kǒu liú dòng

    people move

  • 信息流动xìn xī liú dòng

    information circulates

Similar words

流通liú tōng: Passes through a market or society until goods, funds, or information are widely available.
移动yí dòng: Moves a person or object to a different position or location.
传递chuán dì: Delivers information or an object from its source to another person or place.
流淌liú tǎng: Runs smoothly and continuously as water or another liquid moves along a natural or built channel.

Definition in Chinese

表示人、物、资金或信息在空间或体系中循环或移动的过程或状态。biǎo shì rén wù zī jīn huò xìn xī zài kōng jiān huò tǐ xì zhōng xún huán huò yí dòng de guò chéng huò zhuàng tài

Word origin

流动 (liúdòng, "to flow") joins 流 (liú, "flow") with 动 (dòng, "move"), extending the visible movement of water to the movement of people, resources, and information.

Usage tips

  • English speakers often link this idea mainly to liquids, but everyday Chinese applies it widely to people, money, and information, so the surrounding noun often carries important meaning.

Other meanings

  • circulateverb
  • moveverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 流动性liú dòng xìngliquiditynoun
  • 流动资金liú dòng zī jīnworking capitalnoun
  • 流动人口liú dòng rén kǒufloating populationnoun

Word lists with this word