The Chinese word **漂流 (piāoliú)** is a compound formed by combining two characters with related meanings: **漂 (piāo)**, which means "to float" or "to drift" on a surface, and **流 (liú)**, which means "to flow" like water. Together, they create a semantic synergy where **漂** emphasizes the state of being buoyant or adrift, and **流** adds the dynamic, directional movement of a current. Literally, it describes the action of something (like a raft or debris) floating and being carried along by flowing water. Figuratively, the compound extends to convey a sense of wandering, being adrift in life, or experiencing a journey without fixed direction, thus encapsulating both a physical and metaphorical concept of drifting flow.