迷途 (mí tú) — lost path; wrong road; (figurative) misguided d… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Literary noun for a 'wrong path' — most often used figuratively as 'going astray in life', rarely for literally losing one's way. Common in the set phrase 迷途知返 (realize one's error and turn back).

noun

lost pathwrong road(figurative) misguided direction in life or action

Examples

迷途，。
Tā yì shí dào zì jǐ zǒu shàng le mí tú, jué dìng huí tóu.
He realized that he had taken the wrong path and decided to turn back.
迷途。
Zhè běn shū bāng zhù xǔ duō nián qīng rén zǒu chū mí tú.
This book has helped many young people get out of their lost path.
。
mí tú Zhī fǎn shì rén shēng zhōng kě guì de yì zhǒng yǒng qì.
Realizing one's errors and turning back is a precious kind of courage in life.

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.

迷mílost/confused

迷 gives lost or confused and 途 gives path, so it names a wrong or lost road.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

辵辵chuòwalk

Sound part声符shēngfú

米

米mǐ迷mí

Same sound today

迷 uses 辵, the walking part, and 米, which gives the sound.

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

辶余途

Meaning part形符xíngfú

辶Written in full as辵chuò

Sound part声符shēngfú

余

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

途 is made from 辶 (written fully as 辵), a walking part, and 余, which gives the sound.

Appears in

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