洪流

hóngliú

noun #34,127

Measure Word

一股洪流 gǔ

Meanings

1 powerful current; flood
2 (figurative) a mighty tide (of history, ideas, people)

Characters

to flow, current

Examples

时代的洪流不可阻挡。

Shídài de hóngliú bùkě zǔdǎng.

The mighty tide of the times cannot be stopped.

暴雨过后，山间形成了洪流。

Bàoyǔ guò hòu, shānjiān xíngchéng le hóngliú.

After the storm, a torrent formed in the mountains.

他被卷入了革命的洪流。

Tā bèi juǎn rù le gémìng de hóngliú.

He was swept up in the torrent of revolution.

Tips

usage

洪流 is overwhelmingly figurative in modern Chinese — 时代洪流 (the tide of the times), 历史洪流 (the current of history), 革命洪流. The literal 'flood' meaning is more often expressed as 洪水.

Stroke Order

洪 hóng

流 liú