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慢走 (màn zǒu) — (farewell expression) take care, goodbye (said to someone leaving); (polite request) don't go yet, stay a while

Definition

An idiom said at parting: 'take care on your way' to someone leaving, or 'don't rush off' to a guest who'd leave too soon. The two senses come from tone and context — same phrase, opposite intent.

idiom
(farewell expression) take caregoodbye (said to someone leaving)(polite request) don't go yetstay a while

Examples

  • ，慢走。
    Tiān hēi le, nín màn zǒu.
    It's getting dark. Take care.
  • 慢走，！
    màn zǒu, Xià cì zài lái wán!
    Take care! Come play again next time!
  • ，慢走，。
    Shí jiān hái zǎo, màn zǒu, zài zuò yí huì r ba.
    It's still early. Don't go yet, sit a while longer.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

慢mànslowly
走zǒuwalk

慢 (slowly) and 走 (walk) together form a farewell urging someone to take care.

Characters in this word

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
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
曼
曼màn慢màn
Same sound today

慢 pairs 忄 (heart) with 曼 (màn). The heart part points to a manner or sluggish behavior, while 曼’s meaning “long, extended” adds the sense of taking a long time.

Open 慢 →

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

The original shape showed a running man, with a foot added later.

Open 走 →
Appears in
Greetings & Politeness

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