波动

• Pinyin: bō dòng
• Hanzi breakdown: 波 = 氵(water) + 皮, wave; 动 = 云 + 力, to move

Meaning

To fluctuate; fluctuation. Movement up and down or back and forth, especially of prices or emotions.

Used for describing oscillating movement, particularly in economics (price fluctuations), psychology (emotional instability), and physics (wave motion). Can function as both verb and noun. Common collocations include 价格波动, 情绪波动, 市场波动.

Examples

1. 最近股市波动很大，投资需要谨慎。 The stock market has been fluctuating a lot recently — investing requires caution.
2. 青春期的孩子情绪波动比较明显。 Teenagers tend to have more noticeable mood swings.
3. 国际油价的波动直接影响到国内成品油价格。 Fluctuations in international oil prices directly affect domestic refined oil prices.

Usage Guide

Context: economics, psychology, technical

Tone: analytical

Do Say

• 汇率波动是正常现象。(Exchange rate fluctuation is a normal phenomenon.)
• 她的情绪波动让家人很担心。(Her emotional fluctuations worry her family.)

Don't Say

• 不要用'波动'形容稳定的事物 (Don't use 波动 for stable things — it specifically implies up-and-down movement)

Origin & History

Compound of 波 (wave) + 动 (to move). Literally means 'wave movement,' extended to any fluctuating motion.

Cultural Context

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal