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兜圈子 (dōu quān zi) — to walk around in circles; to go by a roundabout route; to beat around the bush; to speak evasively

Definition

Literally 'loop around in circles,' 兜圈子 covers both physical detours and — more commonly — talking in circles / beating around the bush instead of getting to the point.

verb
to walk around in circlesto go by a roundabout routeto beat around the bushto speak evasively

Examples

  • 。
    Wǒ men dōu le yí gè dà quān zi cái zhǎo dào nà ge dì fāng.
    We took a big detour before finally finding that place.
  • ，。
    Nǐ yǒu huà zhí shuō, bié dōu quān zi.
    Say what you need to say — don't beat around the bush.
  • ，。
    Tā dōu le bàn tiān quān zi, yě méi shuō chū zhòng diǎn.
    He beat around the bush for ages without getting to the point.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

兜dōugo around
圈子circle
圈quāncircle子zǐsuffix
后缀Suffix

兜 gives the sense of going around, and 圈子 names the circular path taken.

Characters in this word

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

  • 𠑹𠑹𠑹cover
  • 皃皃màohead

兜 combines 𠑹, a cover, with 皃, a head, to picture a helmet.

Open 兜 →

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
囗囗wéi
Sound part声符shēngfú
卷
卷juàn圈quān
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

圈 is made of the outer 囗, an enclosure shape, and the inner 卷, which gives the sound.

Open 圈 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Open 子 →
Appears in
Communication & Speech

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