濁流

• Reading: だくりゅう
• Romaji: dakuryu
• Kanji breakdown: 濁 (daku/nigo-) — muddy, turbid; 流 (ryu/naga-) — flow, current
• Pronunciation: /da.kɯ.ɾjɯː/

Meaning

Muddy stream; turbid current; torrent. A violently flowing, sediment-laden river, typically swollen and discoloured by heavy rainfall.

A vivid noun that contrasts sharply with 清流 (clear stream). 濁流 evokes danger, chaos, and destructive force, and is frequently used in news reports during typhoons and heavy rain events. It also appears metaphorically to describe a destructive or corrupting force sweeping through society or an organisation.

Examples

1. 台風の影響で川は濁流となり、橋が流されてしまった。 The typhoon turned the river into a muddy torrent, and a bridge was swept away.
2. 濁流が農地に流れ込み、収穫前の作物が一夜にして全滅した。 The turbid floodwaters poured into the farmland, and the crops ready for harvest were completely destroyed overnight.
3. 歴史の濁流に飲み込まれながらも、その詩人は純粋さを失わなかった。 Even while being swept up in the turbid currents of history, the poet never lost his purity.

Usage Guide

Context: weather, natural disasters, figurative speech, literature

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 濁 (muddy, turbid, impure) and 流 (flow, current, stream). The contrast with 清 (clear, pure) in 清流 is stark — 濁流 carries connotations of impurity, danger, and overwhelming force.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal