flow
flow — 動詞
1. to move steadily in a particular direction — used when talking about water, air,
流動;流瀉
液體、氣體、電流等順暢移動
to move steadily in a particular direction — used when talking about water, air, electrical current, or traffic
Warm water flowed from the kitchen tap into a large metal pot.
溫水從廚房的水龍頭流入一個大金屬鍋裡。
flow + from [source] + into [destination]
The Colorado River flows through the Grand Canyon and into the sea.
科羅拉多河流經大峽谷,然後流入大海。
Cool air flows from the air conditioner across the whole living room.
冷空氣從冷氣機吹出,流經整個客廳。
Electricity flows through these metal wires to light up the house.
電流通過這些金屬電線,為整棟房子供電。
Traffic on the highway flowed slowly after a truck broke down near the bridge.
一輛卡車在橋附近拋錨後,高速公路上的車流變得緩慢。
文法句型
flow + adverb/preposition of direction
用法筆記
Intransitive only — do not say 'the river flows water'. For the movement of traffic, people, or information, use the same pattern: flow + direction adverb/preposition.
常見錯誤
2. to keep coming or being produced steadily, without stopping — used about money,
湧入;不斷
金錢、資訊、訂單等持續到來或產生
to keep coming or being produced steadily, without stopping — used about money, information, goods, or ideas
Donations flowed in from all over Taiwan after the typhoon news spread.
颱風消息傳出後,來自全臺各地的捐款不斷湧入。
money/information + flow in + from [source]
Emails from customers have been flowing all morning since the sale was announced.
促銷活動公布後,客戶的電子郵件整個早上不斷湧入。
Great ideas flowed from Talia as she sketched the new garden design.
Talia 在描繪新的花園設計圖時,絕妙的點子源源不絕地湧現。
Orders for the new phone are flowing in faster than the factory can fill them.
新手機的訂單不斷湧入,速度甚至超過工廠的產能。
Money from the education fund flowed slowly, delaying the school building project.
教育基金的錢撥付緩慢,導致學校建設計畫延誤。
文法句型
flow + in/from/into, e.g. 'donations flowed in'
flow + from + source
用法筆記
Subject is typically inanimate (donations, ideas, money, orders). The direction particle 'in' is common: 'flow in' for things arriving. Frequently used with 'from' to indicate the source.
常見錯誤
3. to fall or hang in a loose, graceful way, used about hair or clothing that moves
飄垂;飄逸
頭髮或布料柔順地垂下或飄動
to fall or hang in a loose, graceful way, used about hair or clothing that moves freely in the air or down the body
Gabriela's long black hair flowed down her back in soft, shiny waves.
Gabriela 的黑色長髮順著背部柔順飄垂,閃耀著柔和光澤。
hair + flow down [body part] — common pattern for hair
The silk curtains flowed gently in the breeze from the open window.
絲質窗簾在開著的窗戶吹進來的微風中輕輕飄動。
Anong's red scarf flowed behind her as she rode her bicycle down the hill.
Anong 的紅色圍巾在她騎腳踏車下山時,在身後飄揚。
Her white wedding dress flowed around her feet as she walked down the steps.
她白色的婚紗在她走下臺階時,順著腳步飄垂圍繞。
文法句型
flow + adverb of manner, e.g. 'flow down her back'
用法筆記
Subject is hair or fabric/clothing. Often paired with 'down' (flow down) for hair touching the body, or 'behind' for fabric trailing in motion. This sense has a positive tone — the hanging is attractive, not messy.
常見錯誤
flow — 名詞
1. the way that a liquid, gas, or stream of traffic moves steadily and smoothly alo
流向;水勢
液體、氣體、車流等的移動
the way that a liquid, gas, or stream of traffic moves steadily and smoothly along a path
The doctor checked the flow of blood through Élise's damaged artery.
醫生檢查了 Élise 受損動脈中的血液流動狀況。
the flow of + [substance] + through + [path]
A sensor measures the flow of natural gas through the main pipeline.
感測器測量主要管線中天然氣的流動量。
The flow of traffic on the highway was stopped for three hours after the accident.
車禍發生後,高速公路上的車流中斷了三個小時。
Good airport design helps the smooth flow of passengers through security checks.
良好的機場設計有助於旅客順暢通過安檢。
The flow of the river slowed down after the dry summer months with little rain.
經過乾燥的夏季、降雨量稀少之後,河流的流速減緩了。
- stagnation
a state where movement has stopped
- blockage
something that stops the flow
文法句型
the flow of + noun
用法筆記
Usually singular. The pattern 'flow of X' is the most common structure. Used for concrete substances (water, air, electricity) and also for crowds or traffic.
常見錯誤
2. a regular, continuous supply of something, such as people arriving, money coming
人潮;大量
人員、金錢等持續穩定的供應
a regular, continuous supply of something, such as people arriving, money coming in, or goods being produced
A steady flow of tourists visits the island every summer to enjoy the beaches.
每年夏天有穩定的人潮湧入島嶼享受海灘。
steady flow of + people (tourists, visitors, customers)
Yumi was surprised by the flow of job offers she received after the interview.
Yumi 對於面試後收到的大量工作邀約感到驚訝。
The hospital received a constant flow of patients during the worst week of the flu season.
在流感疫情最嚴重的那一週,醫院接收了一波又一波的患者。
The flow of new members into the fitness club doubled after the new year promotion.
新年優惠活動後,加入健身俱樂部的新會員人數增加了一倍。
文法句型
a/constant/steady flow of + noun (people, money, goods)
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun sense 1: sense 1 focuses on physical movement (water, traffic), while sense 2 focuses on the idea of supply or quantity (people, money, offers). Use 'steady flow', 'constant flow', 'continuous flow' as modifiers.
常見錯誤
3. the way that goods, information, or work keeps moving without interruption throu
流通;暢通
資訊、貨物、工作等持續有效運作
the way that goods, information, or work keeps moving without interruption through a process or system
The company improved the flow of information between the sales and production teams.
公司改善了業務部門與生產部門之間的資訊流通。
flow of information between [teams/departments]
A break in the flow of production caused a delay of more than seven hours.
生產流程中斷,導致超過七小時的延誤。
Nikhil wants to speed up the flow of goods from the factory to the shops.
Nikhil 希望加快貨物從工廠運送到店面的流通速度。
A good flow of ideas helps the engineering team solve problems much faster.
良好的點子交流有助於工程團隊更快解決問題。
- circulation
suggests movement through a system and back to the start
- movement
more general, less specific about continuousness
- throughput
technical term for the amount processed in a given time
- disruption
an interruption in the normal movement of something
- bottleneck
a point where flow is slowed or stopped
文法句型
the flow of + noun (goods, information, production)
用法筆記
Often used in business and production contexts. Common collocations: 'flow of information', 'flow of goods', 'flow of communication'. Frequently paired with verbs like 'improve', 'speed up', 'disrupt', 'maintain'.
常見錯誤
4. a mental state of complete focus and enjoyment in an activity, where someone is
心流;沉浸
完全投入活動、感受不到時間流逝的心理狀態
a mental state of complete focus and enjoyment in an activity, where someone is so absorbed that time passes without noticing and everything feels effortless
Wren entered a flow state while painting the mountain landscape and forgot to eat lunch.
Wren 在畫山景時進入了心流狀態,甚至忘了吃午餐。
enter a flow state + [activity] — common pattern
Nikhil felt completely in the flow during the chess tournament and won every game.
Nikhil 在西洋棋比賽中完全處於心流狀態,贏下了每一局。
Getting into a flow while writing makes the work feel effortless and deeply satisfying.
寫作時進入心流狀態,會讓工作變得不費力且令人深感滿足。
Runners often describe a state of flow during long-distance races when the pain disappears.
長跑選手常在長距離比賽中描述一種心流狀態,痛苦彷彿消失了。
- absorption
complete attention to something, but without the enjoyment element
- focus
narrower — just concentration, not the full optimal-experience state
- immersion
being deeply involved, but can be in neutral or unpleasant activities too
- distraction
the opposite of being focused
- frustration
emotional state when something blocks progress
文法句型
in (a state of) flow
enter a flow state
find one's flow
用法筆記
Popularised by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Typically used with prepositions 'in' (in flow) or 'into' (get into flow). 'Flow state' is a common compound noun. Uncountable — do not say 'a flow' in this sense.
常見錯誤
5. the long hair of a male sports star that hangs down loosely in an eye-catching w
飄逸長髮
(運動員的)長髮飄動的樣子
the long hair of a male sports star that hangs down loosely in an eye-catching way while he plays
The basketball player is known for his long, flowing hair that fans call his flow.
那位籃球運動員以他飄逸的長髮聞名,粉絲稱之為 his flow。
possessive + flow — informal noun use for hair
The young soccer star's flow caught the wind as he ran across the field after scoring.
那位年輕足球明星的飄逸長髮在進球後跑過球場時隨風飛揚。
Many fans at the game wore wigs to copy their favourite player's signature flow.
許多球迷在比賽中戴上假髮,模仿他們喜愛球員的招牌飄逸長髮。
The pitcher shook his head and let his dark hair flow freely before throwing the ball.
投手甩了甩頭,在投球前讓黑髮自由飄動。
文法句型
possessive + flow
have a (good/nice/beautiful) flow
用法筆記
Informal, mostly sports slang. Used almost exclusively for men with long hair in athletic contexts (soccer, basketball, baseball). Not used for women's hairstyles. Singular only — 'flows' is not used in this sense.
常見錯誤
6. the continuous way in which events, ideas, words, or music develop and follow on
連貫;脈絡
對話、思想、事件等連續發展
the continuous way in which events, ideas, words, or music develop and follow one another in a connected sequence
The flow of the conversation moved from politics to family life and back again.
對話的脈絡從政治轉到家庭生活,然後又繞了回來。
flow of conversation — common collocation
Brooke interrupted the flow of the meeting with a sudden question about the budget.
Brooke 突然問了一個關於預算的問題,打斷了會議的進行。
interrupt the flow of [event/activity]
The book follows the natural flow of the changing seasons through the year.
這本書按照季節變化的自然脈絡來描述一整年的風景。
The flow of events after the election surprised even the most experienced reporters.
選舉後一系列事件的發展,連最有經驗的記者都感到意外。
- progression
more formal, emphasises forward movement and development
- sequence
neutral, just the order of things without the smoothness
- continuity
focuses on the connection between parts, not the movement
- disruption
break or interruption in the sequence
- disorder
lack of logical or orderly sequence
文法句型
the flow of + events/ideas/conversation
flow of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Common in both formal and informal contexts. 'Flow' here is about logical or temporal sequence. Typical verbs: 'interrupt the flow', 'follow the flow', 'disrupt the flow', 'maintain the flow'. Often used with 'of + abstract noun'.
常見錯誤
7. the amount or rate at which a liquid or gas moves through a pipe, tube, or openi
流量;流速
液體或氣體在單位時間內通過的量
the amount or rate at which a liquid or gas moves through a pipe, tube, or opening over a given period of time
The pump delivers a flow of fifty litres of water every minute.
這臺水泵每分鐘可提供五十公升的水流量。
flow of + [quantity] + per [time unit] — measurement pattern
Engineers calculated the flow needed to supply the whole town with clean water.
工程師計算出供應全鎮乾淨用水所需的流量。
A small blockage in the hose reduced the flow of water by more than half.
水管裡的一個小堵塞使得水流量減少了一半以上。
The nurse checked the flow of oxygen from the tank to the patient's mask.
護士檢查了從氧氣筒到患者面罩的氧氣流量。
- flow rate
more specific term for quantity per unit of time
- discharge
technical, used for rivers and pumps
- throughput
general term for amount passing through, not limited to fluids
文法句型
flow + noun (rate/volume)
flow of + measurement unit
用法筆記
Technical or semi-technical term. Often preceded by a measurement ('a flow of X litres per second'). Common in engineering, plumbing, and medical contexts (blood flow rate). The compound 'flow rate' is very common.