走捷径 (zǒu jié jìng) — to take a shortcut (a shorter physical route); to take the easy way out; to cut corners (figuratively, often with a negative connotation)
Definition
走捷径 is both 'take a shortcut' (a shorter route) and, more commonly in writing, 'cut corners / take the easy way out' — usually with a negative connotation. As a separable phrase, the object 捷径 can move or be topicalized (走过捷径, 捷径走不得).
verb
to take a shortcut (a shorter physical route)to take the easy way outto cut corners (figuratively, often with a negative connotation)
Examples
- ，走捷径。Wèi le jié shěng shí jiān, tā chuān guò xiǎo xiàng zǒu jié jìng.To save time, he took a shortcut through the alley.
- 走捷径，。Bié zǒng xiǎng zhe zǒu jié jìng, tā tā shi shí nǔ lì cái shì zhèng dào.Don't always try to take the easy way out; steady effort is the right path.
- 走捷径，。Tā kào guān xì zǒu jié jìng, zuì hòu fǎn ér chī le dà kuī.He used connections to cut corners, but in the end it backfired.
Origin
Appears in
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