Chinese word

飘

Pronunciation

Pinyinpiāo

Meaning

  • verbfloat

Example

树叶在风中飘。shù yè zài fēng zhōng piāo

The leaves are floating in the wind.

Illustration for 飘 (float)

More examples

雪花在空中飘着。xuě huā zài kōng zhōng piāo zhe

Snowflakes are floating in the air.

Core concept

Moves lightly through the air, swaying or drifting wherever a gentle current carries it.

Common phrases

  • 飘落piāo luò

    drift down

  • 飘散piāo sàn

    drift away

  • 飘动piāo dòng

    flutter

Similar words

飘动piāo dòng: Sway or shift lightly in the wind, changing position or direction.
飘浮piāo fú: Float slowly while supported by water or air.
飘扬piāo yáng: Flutter in the wind, especially as a flag or banner.

Definition in Chinese

在风中轻轻摆动或随气流漂浮，常用于描写细小、轻薄物体或带有飘逸感的状态。zài fēng zhōng qīng qīng bǎi dòng huò suí qì liú piāo fú cháng yòng yú miáo xiě xì xiǎo qīng bó wù tǐ huò dài yǒu piāo yì gǎn de zhuàng tài

Word origin

The character 飘 (piāo, "float") has 风 (fēng, "wind") as its meaning component and 票 (piào, "ticket") as its sound component, a structure that links the word to movement in air.

Usage tips

  • English speakers may choose wave for a leaf's motion, but this verb highlights light movement carried by air rather than deliberate waving.

Other meanings

  • danceverb
  • flutterverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 飘逸piāo yìgracefuladjective
  • 飘忽piāo hūcapriciousadjective
  • 飘动piāo dòngflutterverb

Word lists with this word