流
liú
to flow
to disseminate; to circulate or spread; to move or drift; to degenerate; to banish or send into exile; stream of water or sth resembling one; class, rate or grade
water (氵) + phonetic (㐬) = to flow and circulate
㐬 gives the sound liú; the water radical carries all the meaning, evoking water finding its course. From flowing water the word extends to circulation, spreading, and even drifting into exile.
河里的水慢慢地向东流。
hé lǐ de shuǐ màn màn de xiàng dōng liú。
The water in the river flows slowly eastward.
这首歌在网上广泛流传，很多人都听过。
zhè shǒu gē zài wǎng shàng guǎng fàn liú chuán，hěn duō rén dōu tīng guò。
This song has spread widely online and many people have heard it.
Words with 流
上流
shàng liú
upper class
平流层
píng liú céng
stratosphere
车流
chē liú
traffic
流水线
liú shuǐ xiàn
assembly line
同流合污
tóng liú hé wū
to wallow in the mire with sb (idiom); to follow the bad example of others
交流
jiāo liú
to exchange
流入
liú rù
to flow into
流量
liú liàng
flow rate; throughput of passengers; volume of traffic
流派
liú pài
tributary (stream)
行云流水
xíng yún liú shuǐ
lit. moving clouds and flowing water (idiom)
流形
liú xíng
manifold (math.)
流星
liú xīng
meteor; shooting star