踱步 (duó bù) — to pace, to walk slowly back and forth

Definition

踱步 means to pace — walking slowly back and forth, usually when thinking, anxious, or restless. It is a formal/literary verb; in everyday speech 走来走去 or 散步 is more common.

verb
to paceto walk slowly back and forth

Examples

  • 踱步。
    Tā xǐ huan zài huā yuán lǐ duó bù.
    He likes to pace in the garden.
  • 。
    Tā zài fáng jiān lǐ duó le bàn gè xiǎo shí bù.
    He paced in the room for half an hour.
  • 踱步，。
    Wǒ bù ān dì zài kè tīng duó bù, děng zhe xiāo xi.
    I paced anxiously in the living room, waiting for news.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

踱duópace
步bùstep

踱 means to pace, and 步 refers to steps, together meaning to walk slowly.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 踱 →

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 →

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