liúxīng: 流星 - Meteor, Shooting Star

• Keywords: liuxing, 流星, shooting star in Chinese, meteor in Chinese, how to say meteor in Chinese, make a wish Chinese, Chinese astronomy, 流星雨, meteor shower, fleeting beauty Chinese
• Summary: Learn the meaning and cultural significance of 流星 (liúxīng), the Chinese word for “meteor” or “shooting star.” This guide explores its literal and metaphorical uses, from making a wish on a starry night to describing something of fleeting beauty. Discover its character origins, see 10 practical example sentences, and learn related terms like 流星雨 (liúxīngyǔ), or meteor shower, to enrich your Chinese vocabulary.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): liúxīng
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: A meteor; a celestial body that creates a streak of light as it enters Earth's atmosphere.
• In a Nutshell: 流星 (liúxīng) is the direct equivalent of “shooting star” or “meteor” in English. The word itself is beautifully descriptive, combining “flow” and “star” to paint a picture of a star flowing across the night sky. It carries all the wonder, romance, and sense of a special, fleeting moment that its English counterpart does, and is often used both literally and metaphorically.

• 流 (liú): This character means “to flow,” “to drift,” or “to stream.” The left-side radical, 氵, is a form of 水 (shuǐ), meaning water, indicating a connection to liquids and movement.
• 星 (xīng): This character means “star.” It's composed of 日 (rì), meaning “sun,” above 生 (shēng), meaning “to be born” or “life.” You can think of it as something bright like the sun that is “born” into the night sky.
• Together, 流星 (liúxīng) literally translates to a “flowing star,” a perfect and poetic description of a meteor streaking across the heavens.

In modern China, much like in the West, seeing a 流星 (liúxīng) is considered a lucky and magical event. The most common tradition associated with it is to quickly make a wish (许愿 - xǔyuàn) before the streak of light disappears. This shared custom makes the basic concept of a shooting star very easy for learners to grasp. However, 流星 (liúxīng) also carries a deeper metaphorical weight in Chinese culture, often tied to the idea of transience and fleeting beauty. Because a shooting star is so brilliant yet lasts for only a moment, it's a powerful symbol for:

• A brief, intense romance.
• A talented person who achieves fame quickly but fades away just as fast (a “one-hit wonder”).
• Any beautiful moment that cannot last.

This contrasts with the almost exclusively positive “wishing” connotation in Western culture. While a shooting star is a happy sight, its use in Chinese literature and art often comes with a tinge of melancholy—an appreciation of beauty that is inherently tied to its impermanence. Historically, major meteor showers or exceptionally bright meteors could also be interpreted as cosmic omens, sometimes foretelling great changes or the fall of a prominent figure.

流星 (liúxīng) is used in various contexts, from scientific discussions to poetic metaphors.

• Literal Use: In everyday conversation, people use it when stargazing or talking about astronomy. News reports will use 流星雨 (liúxīngyǔ) to announce an upcoming meteor shower.
  • e.g., “Tonight's Perseid meteor shower (英仙座流星雨) will be spectacular.”
• Metaphorical Use: This is very common in song lyrics, poetry, and dramatic language. It's used to describe a person, event, or feeling that is brilliant but short-lived.
  • e.g., “His career was like a 流星; it burned brightly but was over too soon.”
• Romantic Context: Seeing a shooting star is a classic romantic trope. Couples might watch for them on a date, and the event symbolizes a special, magical moment in their relationship. The phrase “our love was like a 流星” is a common, if slightly cliché, way to describe a passionate but brief love affair.

• Example 1:
  • 快看，一颗流星！我们快许个愿吧！
  • Pinyin: Kuài kàn, yī kē liúxīng! Wǒmen kuài xǔ ge yuàn ba!
  • English: Look, a shooting star! Let's make a wish quickly!
  • Analysis: This is the most common, everyday usage. The measure word for a star or meteor is 颗 (kē). 许愿 (xǔyuàn) is the verb “to make a wish.”
• Example 2:
  • 昨晚的流星雨你看到了吗？特别壮观。
  • Pinyin: Zuówǎn de liúxīngyǔ nǐ kàndào le ma? Tèbié zhuàngguān.
  • English: Did you see the meteor shower last night? It was especially magnificent.
  • Analysis: Here, 流星 is part of the compound word 流星雨 (liúxīngyǔ), “meteor shower.” 壮观 (zhuàngguān) is a great word for describing spectacular natural scenes.
• Example 3:
  • 那个歌手就像一颗流星，红得很快，消失得也很快。
  • Pinyin: Nàge gēshǒu jiù xiàng yī kē liúxīng, hóng de hěn kuài, xiāoshī de yě hěn kuài.
  • English: That singer was like a shooting star; he became famous very quickly and disappeared just as fast.
  • Analysis: A perfect example of the metaphorical use. 红 (hóng), literally “red,” is slang for “to be famous” or “popular.”
• Example 4:
  • 我们的爱情就像流星划过天际，虽然短暂，却很美丽。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen de àiqíng jiù xiàng liúxīng huáguò tiānjì, suīrán duǎnzàn, què hěn měilì.
  • English: Our love was like a shooting star streaking across the sky; although it was brief, it was beautiful.
  • Analysis: This sentence highlights the bittersweet, romantic metaphor. 划过 (huáguò) is the verb “to streak across,” and 天际 (tiānjì) means “horizon” or “skyline.”
• Example 5:
  • 科学家认为这颗流星可能来自太阳系边缘。
  • Pinyin: Kēxuéjiā rènwéi zhè kē liúxīng kěnéng láizì tàiyángxì biānyuán.
  • English: Scientists believe this meteor may have come from the edge of the solar system.
  • Analysis: A formal, scientific use of the term. The context is astronomy.
• Example 6:
  • 他的一生如流星般璀璨，给世界留下了深刻的印记。
  • Pinyin: Tā de yīshēng rú liúxīng bān cuǐcàn, gěi shìjiè liúxià le shēnkè de yìnjì.
  • English: His life was as brilliant as a shooting star, leaving a deep impression on the world.
  • Analysis: A positive metaphorical use, focusing on the brilliance rather than the brevity. 璀璨 (cuǐcàn) means brilliant or dazzling.
• Example 7:
  • 开车时，我仿佛看到一道流星从后视镜里闪过。
  • Pinyin: Kāichē shí, wǒ fǎngfú kàndào yī dào liúxīng cóng hòushìjìng lǐ shǎnguò.
  • English: While driving, I thought I saw a shooting star flash in the rearview mirror.
  • Analysis: 道 (dào) can be used as a measure word for streaks of light. 闪过 (shǎnguò) means “to flash past.”
• Example 8:
  • 等待流星出现需要很大的耐心。
  • Pinyin: Děngdài liúxīng chūxiàn xūyào hěn dà de nàixīn.
  • English: Waiting for a shooting star to appear requires a lot of patience.
  • Analysis: A simple, practical sentence about the act of stargazing.
• Example 9:
  • 他的成功不过是流星一闪，没有持续下去。
  • Pinyin: Tā de chénggōng bùguò shì liúxīng yī shǎn, méiyǒu chíxù xiàqù.
  • English: His success was merely a flash like a shooting star; it didn't last.
  • Analysis: This metaphor emphasizes the negative aspect of being short-lived. 一闪 (yī shǎn) means “one flash.”
• Example 10:
  • 为了看流星，我们特意开车到远离城市灯光的地方。
  • Pinyin: Wèile kàn liúxīng, wǒmen tèyì kāichē dào yuǎnlí chéngshì dēngguāng de dìfāng.
  • English: In order to see the shooting stars, we specially drove to a place far from the city lights.
  • Analysis: This sentence describes a common activity and provides useful vocabulary like 远离 (yuǎnlí) (to be far from) and 灯光 (dēngguāng) (lights).

The most common mistake for learners is confusing 流星 (liúxīng) with related astronomical terms.

• 流星 (liúxīng) vs. 陨石 (yǔnshí):
  • 流星 (liúxīng) is the phenomenon—the streak of light you see in the sky. It doesn't physically exist as an object you can touch.
  • 陨石 (yǔnshí) is the meteorite—the actual piece of rock or metal that has survived its passage through the atmosphere and landed on Earth.
  • Incorrect: 我在沙漠里找到了一块漂亮的流星。 (Wǒ zài shāmò lǐ zhǎodào le yī kuài piàoliang de liúxīng.) - “I found a beautiful shooting star in the desert.”
  • Correct: 我在沙漠里找到了一块漂亮的陨石。 (Wǒ zài shāmò lǐ zhǎodào le yī kuài piàoliang de yǔnshí.) - “I found a beautiful meteorite in the desert.”
• 流星 (liúxīng) vs. 彗星 (huìxīng):
  • 流星 (liúxīng) is a shooting star, a phenomenon that lasts for a second or two.
  • 彗星 (huìxīng) is a comet, a large celestial body of ice and dust that orbits the sun. Comets are visible in the sky for days, weeks, or even months and appear to move very slowly. Don't mix them up!

• 流星雨 (liúxīngyǔ) - A meteor shower; literally “meteor rain.”
• 陨石 (yǔnshí) - A meteorite; the physical rock that lands on Earth.
• 彗星 (huìxīng) - A comet; a different celestial object often confused with meteors.
• 许愿 (xǔyuàn) - To make a wish; the action most commonly associated with seeing a 流星.
• 星星 (xīngxing) - Star(s); the general term.
• 划过 (huáguò) - To streak across; the verb often used to describe the motion of a 流星.
• 短暂 (duǎnzàn) - Brief, short-lived; an adjective that captures the metaphorical essence of a 流星.
• 天文学 (tiānwénxué) - Astronomy; the scientific field related to studying celestial objects.
• 夜空 (yèkōng) - The night sky.
• 宇宙 (yǔzhòu) - The universe.