流动 meaning in English
to flow; to circulate; to move about; mobile; (of assets) liquid
Meaning of 流动
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to flow; to circulate; to move about; mobile; (of assets) liquid
How to use 流动
流动 is used for liquids and air, but also for people, money and goods that move from place to place. It often appears as a modifier, as in 流动人口 (liúdòng rénkǒu) floating population or 流动资金 (liúdòng zījīn) working capital. Example: 河水慢慢地流动。(Héshuǐ màn man de liúdòng.) The river water flows slowly.
流 (liú) has the water radical 氵 on the left, so think of water flowing. 动 (dòng) means to move, so 流动 is water that keeps moving, and by extension anything that flows or moves around.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes use 流动 where 流行 (liúxíng) is needed. 流行 means popular or spreading, like a trend, while 流动 means physically moving or circulating. Also keep 流 in second tone (liú) and do not read it like 留 with a different meaning in mind.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
流 liú · to flow · 10 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
动 dòng · to move · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Related words
Words that share a character with 流动.
| 动作 | dòngzuò | movement; motion; action; to act; to move |
| 行动 | xíngdòng | operation; action |
| 动物 | dòngwù | animal |
| 活动 | huódòng | to exercise; to move about; to work out; shaky; unsteady; loose (tooth etc) |
| 运动 | yùndòng | to move; to exercise |
| 流行 | liúxíng | (of a contagious disease etc) to spread; to propagate; (of a style of clothing, song etc) |
| 感动 | gǎndòng | to move (sb); to touch (sb emotionally) |
| 动物园 | dòngwùyuán | zoo |
| 流利 | liúlì | fluent |
| 交流 | jiāoliú | to exchange; exchange |
| 发动 | fādòng | to start; to launch |
| 自动 | zìdòng | automatic; voluntarily |
Questions about 流动
What does 流动 mean?
流动 (liúdòng) means "to flow; to circulate; to move about; mobile; (of assets) liquid" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 流动?
流动 is made of 2 characters: 流 (10 strokes), 动 (6 strokes). That is 16 strokes in total.
Is 流动 an HSK word?
Yes. 流动 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 流动 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 流动 is written 流動.
What is the difference between 流动 and 流?
流 alone is a verb mostly used for liquids, as in 流泪 (liú lèi) to shed tears. 流动 is a two-syllable word that describes ongoing movement or circulation, and it works well for abstract things like people, capital or information.
Can 流动 be used as an adjective?
Yes. It often describes something mobile or not fixed, as in 流动摊贩 (liúdòng tānfàn) mobile street vendor or 流动图书馆 (liúdòng túshūguǎn) mobile library.