让路 (ràng lù) — to make way, to give way (by moving aside)

Definition

A separable verb meaning 'to make way / give way' — physically step aside or yield so someone else can pass (e.g. for a car or bike). Common in traffic contexts; splits as 让…路 (让出一条路).

verb

to make wayto give way (by moving aside)

Examples

。
Qǐng ràng yí xià lù.
Please make way a bit.
让路。
Nǐ yīng gāi ràng lù.
You should make way.
。
Wǒ gěi zì xíng chē ràng le yì tiáo lù.
I made way for a bicycle.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

让ràngyield

路lùroad

让路 pairs 让 (to yield) with 路 (road), meaning to yield the road and make way.

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 讓; 让 is its simplified writing.

言襄讓

Meaning part形符xíngfú

言言yán

Sound part声符shēngfú

襄

襄xiāng讓ràng

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 讓 combines 言, showing speech, with 襄, giving the sound; the evidence links it to criticizing or reproaching. The simplified 让 is a later shorthand.

Open 让 →

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

Roads & Traffic