走 zǒu to walk
to walk; to leave
How to remember 走: 土 earth + 龰 stop = to walk. There was an earth slide, so the hiker has to stop abruptly before he can go on to walk.
Component breakdown
象形 · Pictogram
originally 夭 + 止
A drawing of the thing it means.
走 = 土 earth + 龰 stop
- 土 earth shape only
- 龰 stop meaning
There was an earth slide, so the hiker has to stop abruptly before he can go on to walk.
How it came to be
The oldest form is a running man swinging his arms; a foot was added below it later.
How it is used
- "To walk; to leave": 走路 (zǒulù) walk, 我先走了 (wǒ xiān zǒu le) I'll head off now. Note the "depart" sense is very common in speech.
- Trap: 走 is walk/go on foot or leave; to "go (to a place)" is 去 (qù). As a directional ending it means "away": 拿走 (názǒu) take away, 搬走 (bānzǒu) move away.
Characters built with 走
Words with 走
- 走路zǒulùto walkHSK 2
- 行走xíngzǒuto walkHSK 5
- 走廊zǒulángcorridorHSK 6
- 出走chūzǒuto leave homeHSK 7
- 走向zǒuxiàngdirectionHSK 7
- 走过场zǒuguòchǎngto go through the motionsHSK 7
- 东奔西走dōngbēn-xīzǒuto run this way and that (idiom)HSK 8
- 走势zǒushìtendencyHSK 9
- 走弯路zǒuwānlùto take an indirect routeHSK 9
- 走投无路zǒutóu-wúlùto be at an impasse (idiom)HSK 9
- 走漏zǒulòuto leak (information, secrets etc)HSK 9
- 走私zǒusīto smuggleHSK 9
- 飞禽走兽fēiqín-zǒushòubirds and animalsHSK 9
Example sentences
- 他们同时走了。 Tāmen tóngshí zǒu le.They left at the same time.
- 他们走得很慢。 Tāmen zǒu de hěn màn.They walk very slowly.
- 我走了一公里路。 Wǒ zǒule yì gōnglǐ lù.I walked one kilometer.
- 他来了，然而又走了。 Tā lái le, rán'ér yòu zǒu le.He came but then left.