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横冲直撞 (héng chōng zhí zhuàng) — (idiom) to barge about recklessly; to act in a rude, aggressive, or unruly manner

Definition

An idiom for charging through recklessly, ignoring obstacles or people — usually to criticize someone's wild, aggressive behavior. Pairs with 撞 (knocking into things) and conveys more force than simply “rude.”

idiom
to barge about recklesslyto act in a rudeaggressiveor unruly manner

Examples

  • 横冲直撞，。
    Nà liàng chē zài mǎ lù shang héng chōng zhí zhuàng, fēi cháng wēi xiǎn.
    That car was charging recklessly down the road, very dangerous.
  • 横冲直撞，。
    Tā zài rén qún lǐ héng chōng zhí zhuàng, zhuàng dǎo le hǎo jǐ gè rén.
    He barged through the crowd, knocking over several people.
  • ，横冲直撞。
    Zhè hái zi de xìng gé tài yě, zhěng tiān zài wài miàn héng chōng zhí zhuàng.
    This child has a wild personality — he's out running amok all day.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

横冲sideways rush
横héngsideways冲chōngrush
偏正Modifier + head
直撞straight bump
直zhístraight撞zhuàngbump
偏正Modifier + head

横 sideways with 冲 rush and 直 straight with 撞 bump combine to describe reckless barging.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 橫; 横 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùwood
Sound part声符shēngfú
黃
黃huáng橫héng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 橫 has 木, meaning wood, beside 黃, which supplies the sound; the simplified 横 is a later abbreviation.

Open 横 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 衝; 冲 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 冲 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (冲, 冲动) it is 衝; in others (冲) it is 沖.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
行行xíng
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng衝chōng
Same sound today

The traditional form 衝 shows 重 inside 行, with 行 as the meaning part and 重 as the sound part; the simplified 冲 is a later shorthand.

Open 冲 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The earliest form of 直 pairs 目, an eye, with an unclear stroke 丨.

Open 直 →

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
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
童
童tóng撞zhuàng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 扌 is the hand radical, written in full as 手, and the right side 童 supplies the sound.

Open 撞 →
Appears in
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