# 川流不息

chuān liú bù xī

Flow continuously without stopping

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** A river flows without rest

**Register:** Descriptive · general

[Change & possibility](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/change)

## When to use it

Describe a steady stream of people or traffic.

Usually a flowing sequence, not a motionless crowded mass.

## Understanding the expression

A river keeps moving even though the individual water passing one point continually changes. The expression transfers that ongoing flow to pedestrians, vehicles, or visitors. It captures movement over time rather than merely a large total number. A station may have people arriving and departing all day. The stream need not be dangerously crowded, but it remains active enough that no clear pause separates one group from the next.

## Examples

桥上车辆川流不息。

### Traditional Chinese

橋上車輛川流不息。

qiáo shàng chē liàng chuān liú bù xī 。

Traffic flows continuously across the bridge.

市场里的顾客川流不息。

### Traditional Chinese

市場裡的顧客川流不息。

shì chǎng lǐ de gù kè chuān liú bù xī 。

Customers keep streaming through the market.

节日期间，游客川流不息。

### Traditional Chinese

節日期間，遊客川流不息。

jié rì qī jiān ， yóu kè chuān liú bù xī 。

Visitors stream in throughout the holiday.

站前人流川流不息，直到深夜。

zhàn qián rén liú chuān liú bù xī ， zhí dào shēn yè 。

People keep passing outside the station until late at night.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E5%B7%9D%E6%B5%81%E4%B8%8D%E6%81%AF)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=440&webMd=1&la=0)

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