潮流

• Pinyin: cháo liú
• Hanzi breakdown: 潮 = 氵(water) + 朝 (morning/dynasty, phonetic), meaning tide; 流 = 氵(water) + 㐬 (flowing), meaning to flow

Meaning

Trend; fashion; current. Refers to the prevailing direction in style, thought, or social behaviour.

Originally meant 'tide' or 'current' in water, now predominantly used figuratively for cultural, fashion, and social trends. Commonly seen in 潮流文化 (trend culture) and 时尚潮流 (fashion trend). Carries a modern, youthful connotation.

Examples

1. 年轻人总是喜欢追赶潮流。 Young people always like to follow trends.
2. 这种风格已经成为今年的潮流。 This style has become this year's trend.
3. 我们应该了解行业的最新潮流。 We should understand the latest trends in the industry.

Usage Guide

Context: fashion, culture, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 短视频是现在的潮流。(Short videos are the current trend.)
• 她总是走在潮流的前面。(She is always ahead of the trends.)

Don't Say

• 吃早饭是一种潮流 (Don't use 潮流 for basic, universal habits — it implies something new and trendy, not routine behaviour)

Origin & History

潮 means tide or wave; 流 means flow or current. Together they metaphorically describe the flowing direction of trends.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal