Learn a Chinese Character - 流

1. Character Basics

Radical: 氵 (shuǐ, water radical)

Stroke Count: 10

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: liú (Second tone)

3. Meaning

To flow; to circulate; to spread; to be popular; to reveal; to process; to流派 (school/genre); flowing; running water; flow rate; to circulate; to wander; to lose; fluent

4. Common Words

• 流水 (liúshuǐ) - Flowing water; running water
• 流行 (liúxíng) - Popular; fashionable; prevalent
• 流动 (liúdòng) - Flow; circulate; mobile
• 流传 (liúchuán) - Spread; circulate; be handed down
• 流露 (liúlù) - Reveal; show; betray
• 流程 (liúchéng) - Process; flow
• 流派 (liúpài) - School; genre; sect
• 流浪 (liúlàng) - Wander; roam; be homeless

5. Grammar & Usage

As a verb: Mainly means "to flow" or "to circulate". It can also mean "to spread" or "to be popular". As a noun, it refers to "flow" or "stream". It is often used in combination with other characters to form words related to movement, spread, or popularity.

6. Cultural Background

In Chinese culture, water (水) has a special significance, representing life, flexibility, and continuity. The character 流, associated with water, carries these connotations. Chinese philosophy often uses water as a metaphor for virtue and adaptability, as expressed in the saying "The highest good is like water" (上善若水) from Laozi's Dao De Jing. Flowing water also symbolizes the passage of time and the continuity of culture.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

The character 流 has 10 strokes. It consists of 氵 (shuǐ, water) and 㐬 (liú, a phonetic component). You can remember it by visualizing water (氵) flowing, which directly relates to the meaning of the character.