奔跑 (bēn pǎo) — to run | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

奔跑 is an emphatic 'to run' — physical, sustained running, often for sport or exercise. Unlike 逃跑 ('to flee, escape'), it has no sense of escaping danger.

verb

to run

Examples

奔跑。
Tā xǐ huan zài gōng yuán lǐ bēn pǎo.
He likes to run in the park.
奔跑。
Měi tiān zǎo chén tā dōu huì bēn pǎo bàn xiǎo shí.
Every morning he runs for half an hour.
奔跑。
Tā zài bǐ sài zhōng bēn pǎo dé hěn kuài.
He runs very fast in the competition.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

"奔" and "跑" both mean to run; together they emphasize running fast.

Characters in this word

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

人人rénperson
止止zhǐfoot

奔 combines 人 (person) and 止 (foot), giving the picture of a person moving on foot.

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zúfoot

Sound part声符shēngfú

包

包bāo跑pǎo

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

跑 combines 足, showing a foot, with 包, which gives the sound.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 6 Fitness & Exercise Sports & Athletics

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