江湖

jiānghú

noun #11,126

Meanings

1 rivers and lakes
2 the martial arts world (wuxia)
3 all corners of the country
4 the underworld; shady circles

Characters

Examples

人在江湖，身不由己。

Rén zài jiānghú, shēnbùyóujǐ.

When you're in the jianghu, you can't always act freely.

他闯荡江湖多年。

Tā chuǎngdàng jiānghú duōnián.

He roamed the world for many years.

Tips

culture

江湖 literally means 'rivers and lakes' but in Chinese culture it refers to the world of wandering martial artists, outlaws, and traveling merchants -- a society outside the establishment. Central to wuxia fiction.

Stroke Order

江 jiāng

湖 hú