Meaning
潮流 literally means 'tide current' but is commonly used to refer to trends, fashions, or prevailing tendencies in society, culture, or thought. It describes the direction that popular opinion, style, or behavior is moving, much like a tide carries things along with it.
Usage
Commonly used in contexts of fashion (时尚潮流), social trends (社会潮流), or ideological movements (思想潮流). It often appears with verbs like 跟随 (to follow), 引领 (to lead), or 顺应 (to conform to). The word carries a sense of something powerful and widespread that influences many people.
Examples
- 01年轻人总是喜欢追随最新的时尚潮流。.Young people always like to follow the latest fashion trends.
- 02环保已经成为全球的一种社会潮流。.Environmental protection has become a global social trend.
Characters
Measure words
- 股一股潮流
- 种一种潮流
Common collocations
- 时尚潮流fashion trend
- 跟随潮流to follow the trend
- 引领潮流to lead the trend
- 社会潮流social trend
Antonyms
Origin
The word combines 潮 (tide) and 流 (flow/current), originally referring to the physical movement of ocean tides. This concrete meaning was extended metaphorically to describe the 'flow' of social, cultural, or intellectual movements.