Chinese word

流浪

Pronunciation

Pinyinliú làng

Meaning

  • verbwander

Example

他在外面流浪了很久。tā zài wài miàn liú làng le hěn jiǔ

He wandered outside for a long time.

Illustration for 流浪 (wander)

More examples

失业后他到处流浪，没有固定住所。shī yè hòu tā dào chù liú làng méi yǒu gù dìng zhù suǒ

After losing his job, he wandered everywhere and had no permanent home.

Core concept

Continual roaming with no stable base, suggesting an unsettled state rather than a planned journey.

Common phrases

  • 到处流浪dào chù liú làng

    wander everywhere

  • 在街上流浪zài jiē shàng liú làng

    wander the streets

  • 在外面流浪zài wài miàn liú làng

    wander outside

Similar words

漂泊piāo bó: Drift from one place to another without choosing a settled place to live.
流离liú lí: Lose a home through war or disaster and wander without anywhere to settle.

Definition in Chinese

指没有固定居所、到处漂泊，四处行走或迁移的行为或状态。zhǐ méi yǒu gù dìng jū suǒ dào chù piāo bó sì chù xíng zǒu huò qiān yí de xíng wéi huò zhuàng tài

Word origin

The compound 流 (liú, "flow") + 浪 (làng, "wave") presents movement as water carried along by waves, which makes the lack of a fixed place memorable.

Usage tips

  • A walk around a new city is normally a neutral activity, but this word can imply that the person has no stable home, so it is not the usual choice for sightseeing.

Other meanings

  • be adriftverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 流浪者liú làng zhěwanderernoun
  • 流浪汉liú làng hànhomeless mannoun
  • 流浪狗liú làng gǒustray dognoun

Word lists with this word