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步行 (bù xíng) — to walk, to go on foot

Definition

步 (bùxíng) means 'to walk' but sounds more formal than everyday 走 or 走路 — common in signs (步行街 pedestrian street) and written advice about exercise.

verb
to walkto go on foot
Easily confused

Examples

  • 步行。
    Wǒ men bù xíng qù gōng yuán ba.
    Let's walk to the park.
  • 步行，。
    bù xíng Bǐ kāi chē màn, dàn gèng jiàn kāng.
    Walking is slower than driving, but healthier.
  • 步行。
    Měi tiān bù xíng bàn xiǎo shí duì shēn tǐ hěn hǎo.
    Walking half an hour every day is very good for your health.

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.

步bùfoot
行xínggo

步 means foot or step, and 行 means to go; together they mean to go on foot.

Characters in this word

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

步 uses two 止 (foot) forms, one reversed, to show one foot stepping in front of the other.

Open 步 →

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

  • 彳彳chì
  • 亍亍chù

The shape of 行 originally showed a street intersection, even on both sides. Later it became uneven, with 彳 on the left and 亍 on the right.

Open 行 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5Daily Routine

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