Meaning of 一流
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- top quality
- front ranking
How to use 一流
一流 describes people, schools, services or products of the highest level, often before a noun as 一流的 or directly before nouns like 大学. It can also stand alone as a predicate meaning excellent. Example: 这家饭店的服务是一流的。(Zhè jiā fàndiàn de fúwù shì yīliú de.) The service at this restaurant is first-rate.
一 (yī) means one or first, and 流 (liú) means a stream or a class. Something 一流 is in the first class, the top stream of quality.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes read 一流 as one stream of water or write 留 (liú, to stay) instead of 流, which has the water radical on the left. Also note that 一 keeps its first tone here because 流 is second tone, so say yīliú rather than yíliú.
一流 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
一 yī · one · 1 strokes
- 1
流 liú · to flow · 10 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
Related words
Words that share a character with 一流.
| 一起 | yīqǐ | (in) the same place; together; in company (with) |
| 一样 | yīyàng | same; like |
| 一些 | yīxiē | some; a few; a little; (following an adjective) slightly ...er |
| 一会儿 | yīhuìr | a moment; a while |
| 一半 | yībàn | half |
| 一边 | yībiān | one side; either side |
| 一点儿 | yīdiǎnr | erhua variant of 一點|一点[yi1 dian3] |
| 一块儿 | yīkuàir | erhua variant of 一塊|一块[yi1 kuai4] |
| 一下儿 | yīxiàr | erhua form of 一下[yi1 xia4] |
| 有一些 | yǒuyīxiē | somewhat; rather |
| 一定 | yīdìng | surely; certainly; definitely; fixed; settled |
| 一直 | yīzhí | straight (in a straight line); continuously; always; all the way through |
Questions about 一流
What does 一流 mean?
一流 (yīliú) means "top quality; front ranking" and is used as a noun and adjective.
How do you write 一流?
一流 is made of 2 characters: 一 (1 strokes), 流 (10 strokes). That is 11 strokes in total.
Is 一流 an HSK word?
Yes. 一流 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 一流 and 第一?
第一 (dì yī) means number one in a ranking, only one thing can hold it. 一流 means top tier, so many schools or chefs can all be 一流 at the same time.
Are there related words like 二流 or 三流?
Yes. 二流 (èrliú) means second-rate and 三流 (sānliú) means third-rate. Both are usually negative and can sound insulting, for example 三流演员 for a bad actor.