沿

yán

几 + 口 + 氵

HSK 3.0Level 5

Definitions

yán (preposition,verb) along; to follow

yán (verb) to extend; to continue

yán (noun) border; edge

Etymology phono-semantic

water

Semantic: 氵

About

The character 沿 is a phono-semantic compound that combines the water radical 氵 (suggesting a connection to water or liquids) on the left with the phonetic component 㕣 on the right. Its original meaning was to follow the course of a river or move along the edge of a body of water. Over time, the sense broadened to include following any edge, border, or predetermined path, for instance, walking along a road, as well as adhering to traditions or historical precedents. Its structure has not changed, and there is no distinct traditional variant.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我沿着小路走。

Wǒ yánzhe xiǎo lù zǒu.

I walk along the path.

他沿着海边散步。

Tā yánzhe hǎibiān sànbù.

He strolls along the seaside.

我们沿这条街一直走。

Wǒmen yán zhè tiáo jiē yīzhí zǒu.

We walk straight along this street.

沿海城市很漂亮。

Yánhǎi chéngshì hěn piàoliang.

Coastal cities are very beautiful.

沿途的风景很美。

Yántú de fēngjǐng hěn měi.

The scenery along the way is very beautiful.

这条河沿山脚流淌。

Zhè tiáo hé yán shānjiǎo liútǎng.

This river flows along the foot of the mountain.

我们计划沿长江旅行。

Wǒmen jìhuà yán Cháng Jiāng lǚxíng.

We plan to travel along the Yangtze River.

沿袭传统并不总是好事。

Yánxí chuántǒng bìng bù zǒngshì hǎo shì.

Following tradition is not always a good thing.

Related Characters

Component: 几

Component: 口

Component: 氵

沿