<p><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%88%92#Definitions" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%88%92#Definitions</a></p>
<p>划(劃):</p>
<ol>
<li>to row; to paddle</li>
</ol>
<p>划船  ―  huáchuán  ―  to row a boat</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-09T08:51:49.000Z
2020-10-09T08:51:49.000Z
smartsl
<p>This is a spelling mistake, and should be written as 「划來划去」.</p>
<p>In Traditional Chinese, 「划」 means <em>to row, to paddle</em>, e.g. 「划龍舟」 (<em>to row a dragon boat</em>). 「劃」 normally means <em>to delimit, to partition</em> 「劃分」 or sometimes <em>to plan</em> 「計劃」.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>小蝌蚪看見小鴨子跟著媽媽在水裏划來划去</p>
<p><em>The wee tadpoles saw the ducklings following their mother in the water, paddling away.</em></p>
</blockquote>
<hr />
<p><strong>References:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.moedict.tw/%E5%8A%83" rel="nofollow noreferrer">萌典</a></li>
<li><a href="http://dict.mini.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/gdic/gsweb.cgi?o=ddictionary" rel="nofollow noreferrer">國語小字典</a></li>
<li><a href="http://dict.concised.moe.edu.tw/jbdic/index.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">教育部國語辭典簡編本</a></li>
<li><a href="http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-can/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">粵語審音配詞字庫</a></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-10T00:19:55.957Z
I'm curious why you said it's a spelling mistake. 劃 is a traditional character for 划.  They should be the same, shouldn't they?
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-10T00:46:30.127Z
@dan No, 劃 means something different from 划, they are different characters representing different words. Just like 皇後 is a spelling mistake.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-10T02:30:45.907Z
Ok, I don't know much about the traditional Chinese.  But a quick search in dictionaries suggests it's simply just a variant of 划.
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-10T02:52:27.250Z
@dan I don't know what dictionary you checked. Generally, we try to check dictionaries made by language regulatory bodies who regulate the use of Traditional Characters. Since PRC considers Traditional Characters non-standard, any dictionary published in PRC will not correctly describe the **standard use of Traditional Characters** and their corresponding use in word spelling. I've added a few links (3 Taiwan, 1 HK), feel free to check the individual definitions of 劃 and 划 there.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-10T04:12:03.320Z
It seems like in traditional Chinese, it has two characters whilst in simplified Chinese there is only one character 划.
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-09T08:54:23.783Z
2020-10-10T02:49:33.537Z
2020-10-10T02:49:33.537Z
dROOOze
<p>In the Story 小蝌蚪找媽媽 there is this sentence i cant understand:
小蝌蚪看見小鴨子跟著媽媽在水裏<strong>劃來劃去</strong>
The tadpole saw the ducklings follow their mama in the water...?
Can someone help? thanks a lot for your time.</p>

<translation><traditional-characters>
What is the meaning of 劃來劃去?
# What is the meaning of 劃來劃去?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-10-09)

In the Story 小蝌蚪找媽媽 there is this sentence i cant understand:
小蝌蚪看見小鴨子跟著媽媽在水裏**劃來劃去**
The tadpole saw the ducklings follow their mama in the water...?
Can someone help? thanks a lot for your time.

**Tags:** translation, traditional-characters

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-10-09. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

This is a spelling mistake, and should be written as 「划來划去」.

In Traditional Chinese, 「划」 means *to row, to paddle*, e.g. 「划龍舟」 (*to row a dragon boat*). 「劃」 normally means *to delimit, to partition* 「劃分」 or sometimes *to plan* 「計劃」.

> 小蝌蚪看見小鴨子跟著媽媽在水裏划來划去
>
> *The wee tadpoles saw the ducklings following their mother in the water, paddling away.*

---

**References:**

* [萌典](https://www.moedict.tw/%E5%8A%83)
* [國語小字典](http://dict.mini.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/gdic/gsweb.cgi?o=ddictionary)
* [教育部國語辭典簡編本](http://dict.concised.moe.edu.tw/jbdic/index.html)
* [粵語審音配詞字庫](http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-can/)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I'm curious why you said it's a spelling mistake. 劃 is a traditional character for 划.  They should be the same, shouldn't they?  
> **username_2**: @dan No, 劃 means something different from 划, they are different characters representing different words. Just like 皇後 is a spelling mistake.  
> **username_0**: Ok, I don't know much about the traditional Chinese.  But a quick search in dictionaries suggests it's simply just a variant of 划.  
> **username_2**: @dan I don't know what dictionary you checked. Generally, we try to check dictionaries made by language regulatory bodies who regulate the use of Traditional Characters. Since PRC considers Traditional Characters non-standard, any dictionary published in PRC will not correctly describe the **standard use of Traditional Characters** and their corresponding use in word spelling. I've added a few links (3 Taiwan, 1 HK), feel free to check the individual definitions of 劃 and 划 there.  
> **username_0**: It seems like in traditional Chinese, it has two characters whilst in simplified Chinese there is only one character 划.  

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### Answer by username_1 on 2020-10-09. Score: 1

<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%88%92#Definitions>

划(劃):

1. to row; to paddle

划船 ― huáchuán ― to row a boat


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