近路 (jìn lù) — shortcut | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

shortcut

Measure word · 条

Examples

。
Zǒu jìn lù kě yǐ jié shěng hěn duō shí jiān.
Taking a shortcut can save a lot of time.
近路。
Tā zhī dào yì tiáo jìn lù qù xué xiào.
He knows a shortcut to school.
近路，。
Bié zǒu nà tiáo jìn lù, lù bù hǎo zǒu.
Don't take that shortcut; the road is bad.

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.

近 suggests near or short, and 路 is road, so the word names a route that is shorter than the usual one.

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.

辶斤近

Meaning part形符xíngfú

辶Written in full as辵chuòwalk

Sound part声符shēngfú

斤

斤jīn近jìn

Same sound today

近 combines 辶, a walking radical, with 斤, which gives the sound. The walking part fits the idea of moving close to something.

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

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.

Appears in

Roads & Traffic

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