洄

huí

回 + 氵

Definitions

huí eddying; whirling (of water); to go against the current

Etymology

Swirling 回 water 氵; 回 also provides the pronunciation

About

The character 洄 is a phono-semantic compound composed of the water radical 氵 and the phonetic 回 (huí, 'to return, to go around'). The 回 element provides both the sound and the semantic concept of circular motion, while the water radical situates the meaning in aquatic contexts. The character denotes water that flows backward against the main current, forming eddies or whirlpools where a river turns back on itself, creating a swirling, circular pattern. This visual phenomenon of returning water is the consistent, core meaning of 洄, capturing the dynamics of fluid motion in natural streams.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

鱼儿在河里洄游。

Yú er zài hé lǐ huíyóu.

Fish are migrating in the river.

水流在这里形成洄流。

Shuǐliú zài zhèlǐ xíngchéng huíliú.

The water flow forms a whirlpool here.

船长小心地避开洄流。

Chuánzhǎng xiǎoxīn de bìkāi huíliú.

The captain carefully avoids the whirlpool.

科学家研究鱼的洄游模式。

Kēxuéjiā yánjiū yú de huíyóu móshì.

Scientists study the migration patterns of fish.

洄游的季节到了，鱼群开始移动。

Huíyóu de jìjié dào le, yúqún kāishǐ yídòng.

The migration season has arrived, and fish schools begin to move.

他的思绪如洄流般混乱。

Tā de sīxù rú huíliú bān hùnluàn.

His thoughts are as chaotic as a whirlpool.

由于气候变化，洄游鱼类的路线发生了改变。

Yóuyú qìhòu biànhuà, huíyóu yúlèi de lùxiàn fāshēng le gǎibiàn.

Due to climate change, the routes of migratory fish have changed.

在海洋生态学中，洄游是鱼类适应环境的重要行为。

Zài hǎiyáng shēngtàixué zhōng, huíyóu shì yúlèi shìyìng huánjìng de zhòngyào xíngwéi.

In marine ecology, migration is an important behavior for fish to adapt to the environment.

Related Characters

Component: 回

Component: 氵