冲浪

• Pinyin: chōng làng
• Hanzi breakdown: 冲 = to rush/charge; 浪 = 氵(water) + 良 (good, phonetic) = wave

Meaning

To surf; surfing. The water sport of riding waves.

Used for ocean surfing and extended to internet browsing (网上冲浪 = surfing the web). A popular recreational activity and metaphor for exploring.

Examples

1. 夏威夷是世界著名的冲浪胜地。 Hawaii is a world-famous surfing destination.
2. 他每个周末都去海边冲浪。 He goes surfing at the beach every weekend.
3. 八零后九零后小时候都喜欢说网上冲浪。 People born in the 80s and 90s used to love saying 'surfing the internet' when they were young.

Usage Guide

Context: sports, recreation, internet

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 学冲浪要先学会游泳。(Before learning to surf, you need to learn how to swim.)
• 网上冲浪是九十年代常见的说法。(Online surfing was a common expression in the 1990s.)

Don't Say

• 在游泳池冲浪 (冲浪 requires waves; use 游泳 for pool swimming)

Origin & History

Compound of 冲 (to rush/charge) and 浪 (wave). Describes riding/rushing through waves.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal