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带路 (dài lù) — to lead the way, to show the way; (figurative) to guide, to instruct

Definition

带路 (dài lù) means 'lead the way' — literally 'carry the road', focused on physically showing the route. Unlike 带领 (leading people/a group) or 引领 (pioneering/guiding forward), it is concrete and directional.

verb
to lead the wayto show the way(figurative) to guideto instruct

Examples

  • 带路，。
    Nǐ dài lù, wǒ men gēn zhe nǐ.
    You lead the way, we'll follow you.
  • ，。
    Tā gěi wǒ men dài guò yí cì lù, suǒ yǐ rèn shi zhè lǐ.
    He showed us the way once, so he knows this place.
  • ，带路，。
    Zhè wèi jiào shòu bù jǐn jiāo shū, huán gěi xué shēng dài lù, bāng zhù tā men zhǎo dào yán jiū fāng xiàng.
    This professor not only teaches but also guides students, helping them find their research direction.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

带dàilead
路lùroad; way

带 means to lead and 路 is a road or way, together describing showing the way.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 帶; 带 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 帶 was drawn as a woven belt; the simplified 带 is a later shorthand.

Open 带 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
足足zú
Sound part声符shēngfú
各
各gè路lù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

路 combines 足, a foot, with 各, which supplies the sound.

Open 路 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Directions

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