汪洋

• Pinyin: wāng yáng
• Hanzi breakdown: 汪 = 氵(water) + 王 (king, phonetic); 洋 = 氵(water) + 羊 (sheep, phonetic)

Meaning

Vast and boundless (of a body of water); an expanse of water; ocean-like immensity.

Used to describe seas, floods, or any vast expanse of water that stretches to the horizon. Also used figuratively for an overwhelming, boundless quality — a 'sea of people,' 'a sea of troubles.' Primarily literary and poetic in tone.

Examples

1. 洪水退去后，整片平原变成了一片汪洋。 After the floodwaters receded, the entire plain had turned into a vast expanse of water.
2. 夜航中，船员们凝视着汪洋大海，感叹自然的壮阔。 During the night voyage, the sailors gazed at the boundless ocean, marvelling at the grandeur of nature.
3. 会场上人山人海，汪洋般的人群向四面八方延伸。 The venue was packed — the ocean-like crowd stretched in every direction.

Usage Guide

Context: literary, nature, figurative

Tone: vivid

Do Say

• 暴雨过后，低洼地带变成了一片汪洋。(After the heavy rain, the low-lying areas turned into a vast expanse of water.)
• 站在甲板上，眼前是无边无际的汪洋大海。(Standing on the deck, an endless ocean stretched before our eyes.)

Don't Say

• 用汪洋形容非水体的大量事物，如'汪洋的书' — use 浩如烟海 or 大量 for non-water subjects; 汪洋 is specifically tied to the image of open water

Origin & History

Compound of 汪 (expanse of water, deep pool) and 洋 (ocean, vast). Together they evoke the boundless immensity of open water.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal