直路 (zhí lù) — straight road (literal); direct route (figurative, without detours)

Definition

A "straight road" literally, or figuratively a direct, no-detour approach to a problem. Compare 捷径, which is a "shortcut" — faster but not necessarily straight or honest.

noun
straight road (literal)direct route (figurative, without detours)
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 直路，。
    Zhè tiáo lù shì yì tiáo zhí lù, kāi chē shí fēn zhōng jiù dào le.
    This road is a straight road; you can get there in ten minutes by car.
  • 直路，。
    Tā zǒng xǐ huan zǒu zhí lù, bú yuàn yì rào yuǎn.
    He always likes to take the direct route and doesn't want to go the long way.
  • ，直路。
    Zhè ge fāng àn bú rào wān zi, zǒu zhí lù jiě jué wèn tí.
    This plan doesn't beat around the bush; it takes a direct route to solve the problem.

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.

直zhístraight
路lùroad

直 'straight' and 路 'road' combine to mean a straight road or direct route.

Characters in this word

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
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 →

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