Chinese word

漂

Pronunciation

Pinyinpiāo

Meaning

  • verbfloat

Example

秋天的树叶在湖面上慢慢地漂着。qiū tiān de shù yè zài hú miàn shàng màn màn dì piāo zhe

In autumn, the leaves slowly float on the surface of the lake.

Illustration for 漂 (float)

More examples

小船在大雾中慢慢地漂远了。xiǎo chuán zài dà wù zhōng màn màn dì piāo yuǎn le

The little boat slowly drifted farther away in the thick fog.

Core concept

Rests on a liquid while being carried along, with no firm position or settled destination.

Common phrases

  • 漂浮piāo fú

    float

  • 漂流piāo liú

    drift

Similar words

飘piāo: Moving lightly through the air with a soft, fluttering motion caused by wind.
漂浮piāo fú: Resting on top of a liquid while traveling along its surface.
浮fú: Remaining unsunk because liquid or air holds it up.

Definition in Chinese

在水面或液体表面上随波漂动，被水流带走；也可引申为无固定居所地流浪或漂泊。zài shuǐ miàn huò yè tǐ biǎo miàn shàng suí bō piāo dòng bèi shuǐ liú dài zǒu yě kě yǐn shēn wèi wú gù dìng jū suǒ dì liú làng huò piāo bó

Word origin

漂 (piāo, "float") developed from a water-based sense to describe people who are carried from place to place without a permanent home.

Usage tips

  • The subject helps identify the sense: an object usually has physical motion, while a person may be described as living without a stable place.

Other meanings

  • driftverb
  • wanderverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 漂浮piāo fúfloatverb
  • 漂流piāo liúdriftverb

Word lists with this word