绕远 (rào yuǎn) — to go the long way around, to take a detour

Definition

A separable verb meaning 'to take a detour / go the long way around' — you split it as 绕了一个远, with 远 acting as a measure of the detour's extent.

verb

to go the long way aroundto take a detour

，绕远。
Bié zǒu nà biān, nà huì rào yuǎn.
Don't go that way — it'll be a detour.
，。
Wèi le bì kāi dǔ chē, wǒ men rào le yí gè yuǎn.
To avoid the traffic jam, we took a detour.
？
Cóng zhè tiáo lù zǒu huì bú huì rào tài yuǎn?
Would going this road be too much of a detour?

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

绕ràogo around

绕 means to go around and 远 adds far, giving a longer route.

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 繞; 绕 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糸糸mìrope

Sound part声符shēngfú

堯

堯yáo繞rào

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 繞 pairs 糸 (rope) with 堯 as a sound component; the simplified 绕 is a later shorthand.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

辶元远

Meaning part形符xíngfú

辶Written in full as辵chuòwalk

Sound part声符shēngfú

元

Same sound today

远 combines 辶, meaning walk, with 元, used for its sound.