走老路 (zǒu lǎo lù) — to follow the beaten path, to stick to old ways

Definition

A set phrase meaning to keep doing things the old way, usually with a negative sense ('don't go back to the old ways'). Often contrasts with 创新 in political and business contexts.

verb
to follow the beaten pathto stick to old ways

Examples

  • 走老路，。
    Tā zǒng shì zǒu lǎo lù, bú yuàn yì cháng shì xīn fāng fǎ.
    He always follows the old routine and is unwilling to try new methods.
  • ，。
    Zhè cì tā zǒu le lǎo lù, jié guǒ shī bài le.
    This time he followed the old path, and as a result, he failed.
  • 走老路，。
    Gōng sī bù néng zài zǒu lǎo lù le, bì xū chuàng xīn.
    The company can no longer follow the old routine; it must innovate.

Origin

Characters in this word

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 →

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

The shape 老 combines 人 (man), 毛 (hair), and 匕 (cane), showing a man with long hair leaning on a cane.

Open 老 →

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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