to flow, to drift, to circulate

JLPT N3 10 strokes

Words with this Kanji

Core Meaning

The character primarily means 'to flow' or 'to move continuously,' often used for liquids like water or abstract concepts like time or information.

Extended Uses

Besides literal flowing, can describe the spread or circulation of information, emotions, or trends. For example, '消息流传' means news spreading.

Common Collocations

  • 流水 (liúshuǐ): flowing water
  • 流行 (liúxíng): popular, fashionable (literally 'flowing and prevailing')
  • 流泪 (liúlèi): to shed tears

Usage Notes

When used in phrases like '流露,' it conveys the idea of emotions or thoughts naturally showing or leaking out. Avoid confusing with similar verbs like (zǒu, to walk/go) which imply deliberate movement rather than continuous flow.

Register and Tone

is neutral and widely used in both spoken and written Chinese. It appears in formal contexts (scientific descriptions of flow) and informal speech (talking about trends or feelings).

Example Sentences

The river water flows slowly through the valley.

The news quickly spread among the circle of friends.

Sincerity flows from his words.