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字源zìyuánEtymology & Structure
字源洞见 zìyuán dòngjiàn · Etymological Insight
走 zǒu is a compound pictograph: the upper portion shows a person with arms moving (originally a running figure); the bottom is 止 zhǐ (foot; to stop — a pictograph of a foot/footprint). Together: a person in motion, feet moving forward. The oracle-bone and bronze forms clearly show a dynamic figure — unlike the more static 人 rén or 大 dà.
走 as a radical (走字旁) generates characters for various kinds of movement and departure: 赶 gǎn (to hurry; to drive), 趋 qū (to hasten toward; to tend to), 超 chāo (to exceed; to surpass), 起 qǐ (to rise; to start). The unifying semantic is purposeful forward motion.
走 is one of the three primary movement verbs in Mandarin — alongside 去 qù (to go — to a destination) and 来 lái (to come — toward the speaker). 走 emphasizes the action of moving itself (especially on foot), while 去 emphasizes the destination and 来 emphasizes the direction. 走 also specifically means "to leave, to depart" — 他走了 "He has left/gone." The distinction between 走 (leaving) and 去 (going to a destination) is an important one for learners.
移动yídòngMovement Uses — Walk, Go, Leave
走的用法 zǒu de yòngfǎ · When to Use 走走路 = to walk (on foot; the action itself) 走了 = has left; has gone (departure — the person is no longer here) 走吧 = let's go (invitation to depart/move) 怎么走？ = How do I get there? / Which way do I go? (asking for directions) 一起走 = let's go together (movement as shared action)
走路zǒu lùto walk; walking
V 动词 dòngcí
走 zǒu (to walk/go) + 路 lù (road; path). To walk — the action of foot-travel. 走路去 = to walk there (contrast: 开车去 to drive, 坐地铁去 to take the subway). Also used metaphorically: 走上了一条不归路 "walked a road of no return" · 走对了路 "took the right path (in life)." 请走路 = "please use the footpath" (on signs).
从这里走路到地铁站要十分钟。
Cóng zhèlǐ zǒu lù dào dìtiě zhàn yào shí fēnzhōng.
It takes ten minutes to walk to the subway station from here.
怎么走？zěnme zǒu?How do I get there? / Which way? — asking for directions
V Phrase 动词短语
怎么 zěnme (how; what way) + 走 zǒu (to go). The standard question for asking directions — "How do I get to X?" Response patterns: 一直走 yīzhí zǒu (go straight), 左转 zuǒzhuǎn (turn left), 右转 yòuzhuǎn (turn right), 过了红绿灯 guò le hónglǜdēng (past the traffic light). 往哪边走？= which direction to go?
请问，去故宫怎么走？
Qǐngwèn, qù Gùgōng zěnme zǒu?
Excuse me, how do I get to the Forbidden City?
走字zǒu zìKey 走 Compounds
走 compound family · Movement and Departure走开 zǒukāi go away/move away · 走动 zǒudòng move around/socialize · 走廊 zǒuláng corridor/hallway (lit. "walking gallery") · 走私 zǒusī smuggling (lit. "walking privately") · 走运 zǒuyùn to be lucky (lit. "luck is walking with you") · 走弯路 zǒu wān lù to take a detour/go the wrong way · 走后门 zǒu hòumén to use the back door (nepotism/connections)
成语chéngyǔIdioms & Set Phrases
走马观花zǒu mǎ guān huāviewing flowers on horseback — a superficial glance; sightseeing without depthLit: galloping-horse-view-flowers. The image of someone riding a horse at full gallop through a garden — they see the flowers but cannot pause to appreciate them. Used to describe hasty, superficial engagement with anything: a tourist who rushes through museums, a reader who skims without understanding. Also used self-deprecatingly: 我只是走马观花地看了一下 "I only took a quick glance."
行走天下xíng zǒu tiānxiàwalk throughout the world — to travel the world boldlyThe romantic image of the 江湖 adventurer or itinerant scholar — someone who has traveled all under Heaven, accumulating experience and connections. The phrase captures the Chinese ideal of the person who has moved through the world and is at home everywhere. Related: 走江湖 "to roam the rivers and lakes" — to live by one's skills as a traveling performer or martial artist.
相邻词汇xiānglín cíhuìAdjacent Vocabulary
去qùto go (to a destination)来láito come跑pǎoto run路lùroad; path脚jiǎofoot走廊zǒulángcorridor; hallway走运zǒuyùnto be lucky行xíngto travel; to do; OK