Chinese–EnglishWith examples

沿

yán · yan

Same in simplified and traditional Chinese

HSK 6

Meaning

CC-CEDICT
  1. along
  2. to follow (a line, tradition etc)
  3. to carry on
  4. to trim (a border with braid, tape etc)
  5. border
  6. edge
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In a conversation

0:20 cartoon

Follow the river

  1. Liangliang

    我们(wǒmen)沿(yán)着(zhe)河(hé)走(zǒu)吧(ba)。

    Let's walk along the river.

  2. Dengdeng

    好(hǎo)。沿(yán)着(zhe)河(hé)走(zǒu)会(huì)到(dào)哪儿(nǎr)？

    OK. Where will we get to if we go along the river?

  3. Liangliang

    会(huì)到(dào)一个(yīgè)很(hěn)小(xiǎo)的(de)桥(qiáo)。

    To a very small bridge.

  4. Dengdeng

    沿(yán)着(zhe)这(zhè)条(tiáo)路(lù)走(zǒu)了(le)二十(èrshí)分钟(fēnzhōng)了(le)。桥(qiáo)呢(ne)？

    We've walked along this road for twenty minutes. Where's the bridge?

  5. Liangliang

    奇怪(qíguài)。地图(dìtú)上(shàng)说(shuō)沿(yán)着(zhe)河(hé)就(jiù)到(dào)了(le)。

    Strange. The map says the bridge is right along the river.

  6. Dengdeng

    我们(wǒmen)是不是(shìbùshì)走错(zǒucuò)河(hé)了(le)？

    Did we walk along the wrong river?

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In a sentence

2 examples
01

我(wǒ)们(men)沿(yán)着(zhe)这(zhè)条(tiáo)小(xiǎo)路(lù)一(yì)直(zhí)走(zǒu)到(dào)了(le)湖(hú)边(biān)。

We followed this small path all the way to the lake.

02

他(tā)每(měi)天(tiān)沿(yán)着(zhe)河(hé)边(biān)跑(pǎo)步(bù)锻(duàn)炼(liàn)身(shēn)体(tǐ)。

He runs along the river every day to exercise.

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Stroke order & practice

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Mainland China stroke order, including traditional characters. Drawing sources & licenses.

Definitions adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG and its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Pinyin display and entry grouping have been adapted.

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