沿

yán

HSK 2.0 Level 6 HSK 3.0 Level 5 Preposition Uncommon

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Definitions

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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Character focus

Stroke order

8 strokes

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Word relationships

Register variants

1 item

• 循 xún 循 xún to follow 用于抽象或传统，如'循例'，更正式: to follow

Related words

1 item

• 畔 pàn 畔 pàn (bound form) side; edge; boundary 河畔指河边，沿河是指路线沿着河，注意区分: (bound form) side; edge; boundary

Synonyms

2 items

• 顺着 shùn zhe 顺着 shùn zhe to follow 表示沿着某个路线或方向行进: to follow
• 沿着 yán zhe 沿着 yán zhe to go along 强调遵循线路，不偏离: to go along

Usage notes

Collocations

常与'着'连用，如'沿着'，表示更具体的跟随路线，不能省略。

Common mistakes

在表示抽象概念如'沿袭传统'时，不能替换为'顺着'。

Grammar

Guides that feature 沿

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1 guide

HSK 2.0 Level 5+ HSK 3.0 Level 5+ 6 min

Prepositions 自从, 朝 and 沿着

Say “ever since” a past event with 自从, “toward” someone or somewhere with 朝, and “along” a road or river with 沿着.

Reading: yán Open guide

Words Containing 沿

• 前沿 前沿 qián yán: front-line
• 沿岸 沿岸 yán àn: coastal area
• 沿海 沿海 yán hǎi: coastal
• 沿线 沿线 yán xiàn: along the line (e.g. railway)
• 沿着 沿着 yán zhe: to go along
• 沿途 沿途 yán tú: along the sides of the road
• 床沿 床沿 chuáng yán: bedside
• 历史沿革 历史沿革 lì shǐ yán gé: historical development
• 沿例 沿例 yán lì: following the model
• 沿岸地区 沿岸地区 yán àn dì qū: coastal area
• 沿江 沿江 yán jiāng: along the river
• 沿河土家族自治县 沿河土家族自治县 yán hé tǔ jiā zú zì zhì xiàn: Yanhe Tujia autonomous county in Tongren prefecture 銅仁地區|铜仁地区[tóng rén dì qū], Guizhou
• 沿河县 沿河县 yán hé xiàn: Yanhe Tujia autonomous county in Tongren prefecture 銅仁地區|铜仁地区[tóng rén dì qū], Guizhou
• 沿洄 沿洄 yán huí: to go with the stream
• 沿海地区 沿海地区 yán hǎi dì qū: coastland
• 沿海州 沿海州 yán hǎi zhōu: coastal region
• 沿滩 沿滩 yán tān: Yantan District of Zigong City 自貢市|自贡市[zì gòng shì], Sichuan
• 沿滩区 沿滩区 yán tān qū: Yantan District of Zigong City 自貢市|自贡市[zì gòng shì], Sichuan
• 沿用 沿用 yán yòng: to apply as before
• 沿袭 沿袭 yán xí: to carry on as before
• 沿路 沿路 yán lù: along the way; on the way
• 沿边 沿边 yán biān: close to the border
• 沿革 沿革 yán gé: evolution of sth over time
• 相沿成习 相沿成习 xiāng yán chéng xí: well established
• 边沿 边沿 biān yán: edge