推移

• Pinyin: tuī yí
• Hanzi breakdown: 推 = 扌 (hand) + 隹 (bird, phonetic); 移 = 禾 (grain) + 多 (many) — shifting grain crops

Meaning

To shift; to pass; to evolve over time. Describing the gradual passage or movement of time and the changes that accompany it.

Almost always collocates with 随着时间的推移 (as time passes/with the passage of time). Used to describe gradual change or development over a period. Rarely used for spatial movement — it is essentially a time-related word in modern usage. Common in formal writing, analysis, and reflective prose.

Examples

1. 随着时间的推移，他们之间的误会逐渐消解了。 With the passage of time, the misunderstanding between them gradually dissolved.
2. 随着岁月推移，当年的小村庄已发展成繁华的都市。 As the years have gone by, what was once a small village has developed into a thriving city.
3. 案件随着调查的推移越来越复杂。 The case grew increasingly complex as the investigation progressed.

Usage Guide

Context: writing, analytical, reflective

Tone: reflective

Do Say

• 随着时间的推移，伤口会慢慢愈合。(With the passage of time, the wound will slowly heal.)
• 随着社会的推移，很多传统观念也在悄然改变。(As society evolves, many traditional concepts are quietly changing too.)

Don't Say

• 用'推移'形容快速、突然的变化 (推移 implies gradual change over time, not sudden shifts — for abrupt change use 突变 or 骤变)

Origin & History

Compound of 推 (push, move forward) + 移 (shift, move). Together convey 'gradual forward movement,' used metaphorically for the flow of time.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal