TongTong
Sign in

走弯路 (zǒu wān lù) — to take a detour; to take an indirect route (literal); (figurative) to take a roundabout approach; to waste effort by using the wrong method

Definition

A set phrase meaning literally 'walk a curved road', used figuratively for wasting time or effort on the wrong method. Unlike 绕行 (a literal road detour) or 绕远儿 (a longer route), 走弯路 emphasizes the lost effort, not the physical path.

phrase
to take a detourto take an indirect route (literal)(figurative) to take a roundabout approachto waste effort by using the wrong method

Examples

  • ，走弯路，。
    Wèi le bì miǎn dǔ chē, wǒ men jué dìng bù zǒu wān lù, ér shì zǒu xiǎo lù.
    To avoid traffic jams, we decided not to take a detour and instead took a small road.
  • ，走弯路。
    Xué xí rèn hé jì néng dōu xū yào shí jiān, zhí jiē zhǎo jié jìng fǎn ér róng yì zǒu wān lù.
    Learning any skill takes time; trying to find shortcuts may actually lead you to take a roundabout path.
  • ，，。
    Zài chuàng yè de guò chéng zhōng, tā zǒu le bù shǎo wān lù, cái zuì zhōng chéng gōng.
    In the process of starting a business, he took many detours before finally succeeding.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

走zǒuwalk
弯路crooked road
弯wāncrooked路lùroad
偏正Modifier + head

走 means walk and 弯路 means a crooked road, so it describes taking a detour.

Characters in this word

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

The original shape showed a running man, with a foot added later.

Open 走 →

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 彎; 弯 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
弓弓gōngbow
Sound part声符shēngfú
䜌
䜌䜌彎wān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 彎 pairs 弓 (bow) with 䜌 as a sound part; the simplified 弯 is a later shorthand.

Open 弯 →

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zú
Sound part声符shēngfú
各
各gè路lù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

路 combines 足, a foot, with 各, which supplies the sound.

Open 路 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.