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顺道 (shùn dào) — direct route; the most convenient path

Definition

Means a direct, convenient route — the most straightforward path between two points. In speech it's often used loosely for 'on the way' (e.g. 顺道买 = pick it up on the way).

noun
direct routethe most convenient path

Examples

  • 顺道。
    Zǒu zhè tiáo shùn dào bǐ rào lù kuài duō le.
    Taking this direct route is much faster than taking a detour.
  • 顺道，。
    Zhè tiáo shùn dào suī rán jìn, dàn shì bú tài hǎo zǒu.
    Although this direct route is short, it's not very easy to walk.
  • 顺道。
    Wǒ men zǒu de shì zuì zhí jiē de shùn dào.
    We took the most straightforward direct route.

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.

顺shùnconvenient; along
道dàoroad

顺 contributes the sense of convenience or going along, and 道 is a road; the word denotes the road that is conveniently taken.

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 順; 顺 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yè
Sound part声符shēngfú
川
川chuān順shùn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 順 pairs 川 (river), which gives the sound, with 頁 (head); the picture is a head in a river, following the current. The simplified 顺 is a shorthand.

Open 顺 →

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
行行xíngstreet
止止zhǐfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
𩠐
首shǒu道dào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Early 道 showed a street 行, a foot 止, and a part written 首 or 𩠐; the right part of 行 later disappeared.

Open 道 →
Appears in
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