p8nda
p8nda BETA
Home Dictionary Discord

沿

yán
preposition HSK 6 #8,078

Meanings

  1. 1 along; to follow (a path, river, etc.)
  2. 2 to trace; to follow the course of

Examples

沿这条路一直走。
Yán zhè tiáo lù yīzhí zǒu.
Go straight along this road.
沿河两岸种满了柳树。
Yán hé liǎng àn zhòngmǎnle liǔshù.
Willow trees were planted along both banks of the river.
我们沿着海边散步。
Wǒmen yánzhe hǎibiān sànbù.
We walked along the seaside.

Tips

usage
沿 is often followed by 着 to form 沿着, which is more common in spoken Chinese. 沿 alone is more literary/formal.
memory
The water radical 氵 hints at following the course of a river — the original meaning was to follow a waterway.

Stroke Order

沿 yán