流行

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liúxíng: 流行 - Popular, Fashionable, Trendy; (of a disease) Epidemic, Prevalent

Quick Summary

  • Keywords: liuxing, liúxíng, 流行, popular in Chinese, fashionable in Chinese, what is trendy in Chinese,流行音乐 (liúxíng yīnyuè), 流行文化 (liúxíng wénhuà),流行感冒 (liúxíng gǎnmào), epidemic in Chinese, prevalent.
  • Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word 流行 (liúxíng), which means “popular,” “fashionable,” or “trendy.” This page breaks down how to talk about the latest trends in music, fashion, and culture. Crucially, it also covers the word's second important meaning: “epidemic” or “prevalent,” used to describe the spread of diseases like the flu. Understand the nuances, cultural context, and practical usage with clear examples to avoid common mistakes and sound like a native.

Core Meaning

  • Pinyin (with tone marks): liúxíng
  • Part of Speech: Adjective, Verb
  • HSK Level: HSK 4
  • Concise Definition: To be popular, fashionable, or widespread; (of a disease) to be epidemic.
  • In a Nutshell: `流行` describes anything that is spreading widely among a population at a particular time. Think of it as a current flowing through society. This “current” could be a cool new song, a style of clothing, or, in a more serious context, a virus. The core idea is widespread movement and prevalence.

Character Breakdown

  • 流 (liú): This character means “to flow,” like a river (河水流 - héshuǐ liú). It represents movement, circulation, and spreading out.
  • 行 (xíng): This character means “to walk,” “to travel,” or “to be current.” It implies movement and action.
  • When combined, 流行 (liúxíng) literally means “flowing and traveling.” This creates a powerful and intuitive image of an idea, style, or illness moving and spreading throughout a community, which is exactly what a “trend” or “epidemic” is.

Cultural Context and Significance

  • `流行` is a cornerstone of modern Chinese vocabulary, reflecting the fast-paced, trend-driven nature of contemporary urban life. From viral social media challenges on Douyin (TikTok) to the latest bubble tea flavors, knowing what is `流行` is a way to participate in the shared, modern culture.
  • Comparison with “Trendy” vs. “Mainstream”: In Western culture, “trendy” can sometimes feel fleeting or superficial, and “mainstream” can even be a negative term for something that has lost its “cool” factor. `流行` in Chinese is more neutral and descriptive. It's a statement of fact that something is widespread, much like observing that a river is flowing. It doesn't carry the same baggage of “selling out” that “mainstream” sometimes does.
  • Duality of Culture and Health: The dual meaning of `流行`—covering both pop culture and public health—is significant. It shows a linguistic connection between how ideas and illnesses spread. This became particularly poignant during the COVID-19 pandemic, where the term was used constantly in news reports (`新型冠状病毒流行` - xīnxíng guānzhuàng bìngdú liúxíng). This connection highlights a worldview where social and biological phenomena are both seen as pervasive, flowing forces.

Practical Usage in Modern China

  • As “Popular/Trendy” (Adjective): This is the most common usage in daily conversation. It's used to describe things, not people.
    • Music: `流行音乐 (liúxíng yīnyuè)` - Pop music
    • Fashion: `今年最流行的颜色 (jīnnián zuì liúxíng de yánsè)` - This year's most popular color
    • Culture: `流行文化 (liúxíng wénhuà)` - Pop culture
    • Language: `网络流行语 (wǎngluò liúxíngyǔ)` - Internet slang
  • As “to be Prevalent/Spread” (Verb): This usage often feels slightly more formal.
    • `这种发型现在很流行。(Zhè zhǒng fàxíng xiànzài hěn liúxíng.)` - This hairstyle is very popular right now.
  • As “Epidemic” (Adjective/Verb): This is a more serious and formal usage, typically found in news, public health announcements, or medical contexts.
    • `流行性感冒 (liúxíng xìng gǎnmào)` - Influenza (lit. “epidemic-nature cold”), the flu.
    • `最近在学校里流行感冒。(Zuìjìn zài xuéxiào lǐ liúxíng gǎnmào.)` - Recently, the flu is prevalent in the school.

Example Sentences

  • Example 1:
    • 这首歌最近非常流行。
    • Pinyin: Zhè shǒu gē zuìjìn fēicháng liúxíng.
    • English: This song has been extremely popular recently.
    • Analysis: A simple, common use of `流行` as an adjective to describe a thing (a song). `非常 (fēicháng)` is an adverb modifying it.
  • Example 2:
    • 今年夏天，穿亮色的衣服很流行。
    • Pinyin: Jīnnián xiàtiān, chuān liàng sè de yīfu hěn liúxíng.
    • English: This summer, wearing brightly colored clothes is very fashionable.
    • Analysis: Here, `流行` describes an action or style (“wearing brightly colored clothes”). It's a great pattern for talking about fashion trends.
  • Example 3:
    • 你知道现在流行什么吗？
    • Pinyin: Nǐ zhīdào xiànzài liúxíng shénme ma?
    • English: Do you know what's trendy right now?
    • Analysis: A perfect question to ask a friend about current trends. `流行` acts as a verb here, with “what” (`什么`) as its object.
  • Example 4:
    • 流行来得快，去得也快。
    • Pinyin: Liúxíng lái de kuài, qù de yě kuài.
    • English: Trends come and go quickly.
    • Analysis: This sentence treats `流行` as a noun, meaning “a trend” or “fashion.” This is a more advanced but very natural-sounding usage.
  • Example 5:
    • “YYDS” 是一个网络流行语。
    • Pinyin: “YYDS” shì yí ge wǎngluò liúxíng yǔ.
    • English: “YYDS” is an internet slang term.
    • Analysis: Shows how `流行` can be used as part of a compound noun. `流行语 (liúxíngyǔ)` means “popular phrase” or “slang.”
  • Example 6:
    • 医生说，最近流行性感冒很严重，我们要注意预防。
    • Pinyin: Yīshēng shuō, zuìjìn liúxíng xìng gǎnmào hěn yánzhòng, wǒmen yào zhùyì yùfáng.
    • English: The doctor said that the flu is very severe recently, we need to pay attention to prevention.
    • Analysis: This is a clear example of the medical meaning. `流行性 (liúxíng xìng)` means “epidemic-nature” and modifies `感冒 (gǎnmào)` to mean “the flu.”
  • Example 7:
    • 在我们办公室，下午喝奶茶很流行。
    • Pinyin: Zài wǒmen bàngōngshì, xiàwǔ hē nǎichá hěn liúxíng.
    • English: In our office, it's very popular to drink bubble tea in the afternoon.
    • Analysis: This highlights how `流行` can describe a prevalent custom or habit within a specific group (like an office).
  • Example 8:
    • 他对流行文化不太感兴趣，他更喜欢经典艺术。
    • Pinyin: Tā duì liúxíng wénhuà bú tài gǎn xìngqù, tā gèng xǐhuān jīngdiǎn yìshù.
    • English: He's not too interested in pop culture; he prefers classical art.
    • Analysis: A great example using the compound noun `流行文化 (liúxíng wénhuà)` and contrasting it with `经典 (jīngdiǎn)` (classic).
  • Example 9:
    • 这种复古风格的装修又开始流行起来了。
    • Pinyin: Zhè zhǒng fùgǔ fēnggé de zhuāngxiū yòu kāishǐ liúxíng qǐlái le.
    • English: This kind of retro-style decoration has started to become popular again.
    • Analysis: The structure `…流行起来了 (…liúxíng qǐlái le)` is very useful. `起来 (qǐlái)` indicates the beginning and continuation of the trend.
  • Example 10:
    • 虽然这种手机很流行，但我个人并不喜欢。
    • Pinyin: Suīrán zhè zhǒng shǒujī hěn liúxíng, dàn wǒ gèrén bìng bù xǐhuān.
    • English: Although this type of phone is very popular, I personally don't like it.
    • Analysis: This sentence perfectly illustrates the neutral, factual nature of `流行`. It acknowledges something is widespread without implying personal approval.

Nuances and Common Mistakes

  • `流行` vs. `受欢迎 (shòu huānyíng)`: This is the most common point of confusion.
    • `流行` describes a thing or trend that is widespread. (e.g., a song, a style, a game).
    • `受欢迎` means “to be well-received” and describes a person or thing that people actively like and welcome.
    • Correct: 这个歌手很受欢迎。(Zhège gēshǒu hěn shòu huānyíng.) - This singer is very popular.
    • Correct: 他唱的歌很流行。(Tā chàng de gē hěn liúxíng.) - The songs he sings are very popular.
    • Incorrect: `这个歌手很流行。` This sounds strange, as if the singer themselves were a contagious disease or a fashion item.
  • Ignoring the “Epidemic” Context: Be mindful of the context. If you're in a hospital and say something is `流行`, people will assume you're talking about a disease, not a new movie. The context almost always makes the meaning clear.
  • `流行` vs. `经典 (jīngdiǎn)` (Classic): `流行` is for temporary trends. Don't use it to describe something timeless.
    • Correct: 旗袍是中国的经典服饰。(Qípáo shì Zhōngguó de jīngdiǎn fúshì.) - The Cheongsam is a classic Chinese garment.
    • Incorrect: `旗袍现在很流行。` (Unless there is a specific, new trend of wearing Cheongsams, in which case it could be correct, but generally it's considered a classic).

Related Terms and Concepts

  • 时尚 (shíshàng) - Fashionable, stylish. More focused on a sense of style and aesthetics, often associated with the fashion industry.
  • 时髦 (shímáo) - Stylish, in vogue. Similar to `时尚` but can sometimes sound slightly more colloquial or even a bit dated depending on the speaker.
  • 潮流 (cháoliú) - Trend, tide. A noun that vividly describes a trend as a “tide” of fashion or culture. (e.g., `跟上潮流` - gēnshàng cháoliú - to keep up with the trend).
  • 热门 (rèmén) - Literally “hot door.” Describes a topic, place, or item that is currently in high demand or receiving a lot of attention (e.g., a `热门` movie, a `热门` restaurant).
  • 受欢迎 (shòu huānyíng) - Well-received, popular. Describes being liked by people. The focus is on the positive reception.
  • 经典 (jīngdiǎn) - Classic. The opposite of a fleeting trend; something timeless and of high quality.
  • 感冒 (gǎnmào) - To have a cold. The general term. `流行性感冒` is the specific term for the more severe influenza.
  • 病毒 (bìngdú) - Virus. The agent that can cause a `流行` disease.
  • 网红 (wǎnghóng) - Internet celebrity. A person who often leads or embodies what is `流行` on the internet.
  • 火 (huǒ) - Fire, to be on fire. A very popular slang term for being extremely popular or viral. (e.g., `这首歌现在很火` - This song is on fire right now). It's a more informal synonym for `流行`.