漂

• Pinyin: piāo
• Hanzi breakdown: 漂 = 氵 (water) + 票 (float upward — phonetic; also ticket)

Meaning

To float; to drift. Describes objects moving on water or through air without a fixed course, carried by current or wind.

Used for objects drifting on water, clouds drifting in the sky, and figuratively for an unsettled, wandering lifestyle. Note the three pronunciations: piāo (float), piǎo (bleach), piào (beautiful) — all the same character with different tones and meanings.

Examples

1. 木筏在湍急的河流中随着水势漂向下游，船夫用长篙奋力撑岸，才勉强稳住了方向。 The raft drifted downstream in the rushing river; the boatman fought to keep it on course with a long pole, barely managing to steady the direction.
2. 一群白鹤悠然地在湿地上空盘旋，羽翼随风漂动，宛如一幅徐徐展开的水墨长卷。 A flock of white cranes circled calmly over the wetlands, their wings drifting with the wind like an ink-wash scroll slowly unfolding.
3. 他年轻时在各城市间漂了十余年，靠打零工维持生计，直到三十岁才真正在这座城市安定下来。 When he was young, he drifted from city to city for more than ten years, getting by on odd jobs, and didn’t truly settle down in this city until he turned thirty.

Usage Guide

Context: nature, daily life, literature

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 洪水退去后，大量杂物漂浮在河面上，环保部门紧急调配船只和人员进行清理，以防止水质进一步污染。(After the floodwaters receded, large amounts of debris were floating on the river surface; the environmental authority urgently deployed boats and personnel to clear it up to prevent further water pollution.)
• 他大学毕业后没有急于找工作，而是选择在东南亚各国漂了整整两年，用亲身经历去感受不同文化的温度与厚度。(After graduating from university he did not rush to find work, but chose to drift through various Southeast Asian countries for two full years, using direct experience to feel the warmth and depth of different cultures.)

Don't Say

• 漂 alone is ambiguous — clarify with context or use 漂浮 for floating and 漂泊 for wandering so listeners do not confuse it with 漂亮 (beautiful)

Origin & History

氵(water radical) + 票 (phonetic — to float upward) — something carried along on the surface of water

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal