Meaning
流浪 describes the act of wandering from place to place without a fixed home or destination, often due to poverty, displacement, or a nomadic lifestyle. It carries connotations of instability and hardship, though it can also suggest freedom or adventure in literary contexts.
Usage
This word is commonly used to describe homeless people (流浪汉), stray animals (流浪猫/狗), or people who drift through life without direction. In literature and songs, it sometimes romanticizes wandering. Native speakers often use it with a sense of sympathy or melancholy rather than judgment.
Examples
- 01他在外流浪了十年才回到家乡。.He wandered outside for ten years before returning to his hometown.
- 02街上有很多流浪猫需要人们的关爱。.There are many stray cats on the street that need people's care.
Characters
Common collocations
- 流浪汉vagrant, homeless person
- 流浪猫stray cat
- 流浪狗stray dog
- 流浪生活vagrant life, wandering lifestyle
Antonyms
Origin
The word combines 流 (to flow/drift) with 浪 (wave), creating an image of drifting like waves on water—moving continuously without a fixed point, which metaphorically represents wandering without a home.