沿 yán to follow a course
to follow a course; to go along
How to remember 沿: 氵 water + 𠘧 how many + 口 mouth = to follow a course. The kayakers paddle the calm water counting how many caves they pass, each a dark mouth in the cliff, happy to follow a course.
Component breakdown
沿 = 氵 water + 𠘧 how many + 口 mouth
- 氵 water
- 𠘧 how many
- 口 mouth
The kayakers paddle the calm water counting how many caves they pass, each a dark mouth in the cliff, happy to follow a course.
How it is used
- Works as a coverb meaning "along": 沿着河走 yánzhe hé zǒu, "walk along the river" - the 沿着...+ verb pattern is very productive for describing movement along a path, coastline, or road.
- 沿海 yánhǎi "coastal" and 沿岸 yán'àn "along the shore/riverbank" describe geography, common in describing China's coastal regions.
- 沿用 yányòng means "to continue using (an old method, name, or system)" rather than "to follow a path" - a more abstract extension worth distinguishing: 这个名称一直沿用至今 zhège míngchēng yìzhí yányòng zhìjīn, "this name has been used continuously to this day".