Chinese word

流通

Pronunciation

Pinyinliú tōng

Meaning

  • verbcirculate

Example

这种零件很流通，很容易买到。zhè zhǒng líng jiàn hěn liú tōng hěn róng yì mǎi dào

This part is widely available and easy to buy.

Illustration for 流通 (circulate)

More examples

这种货币在国内外流通。zhè zhǒng huò bì zài guó nèi wài liú tōng

This currency circulates domestically and internationally.

Core concept

A flow through connected markets and society that lets goods, money, or information reach many places.

Common phrases

  • 广泛流通guǎng fàn liú tōng

    circulate widely

  • 在市场上流通zài shì chǎng shàng liú tōng

    circulate in the market

  • 在国内外流通zài guó nèi wài liú tōng

    circulate domestically and internationally

Similar words

供应gōng yìng: Making needed goods or services available to another party.
销售xiāo shòu: Selling products or services to people who buy them.
运输yùn shū: Taking goods or other things from one place to another.

Definition in Chinese

指某种商品或物资在市场上被买卖、供应充足且分布广泛，也可泛指货币或信息在社会中传播。zhǐ móu zhǒng shāng pǐn huò wù zī zài shì chǎng shàng bèi mǎi mài gōng yìng chōng zú qiě fēn bù guǎng fàn yě kě fàn zhǐ huò bì huò xìn xī zài shè huì zhōng chuán bō

Word origin

流通 (liútōng, "circulate") combines 流 (liú, "flow") and 通 (tōng, "pass through"), picturing things moving along connected routes until they reach people across a market or society.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Chinese, this word has a formal, system-focused tone, so it appears more often in trade, economics, and public-information language than in casual talk about an item.

Other meanings

  • circulationnoun

Opposites

  • 停滞tíng zhìstagnateverb

Related words

  • 流通性liú tōng xìngliquiditynoun
  • 流通量liú tōng liàngcirculation volumenoun
  • 流通渠道liú tōng qú dàodistribution channelnoun

Word lists with this word