走

• Pinyin: zǒu
• Hanzi breakdown: 走 = 土 (earth) + 止 (foot) — a foot moving across the ground; to walk, to go

Meaning

To walk; to go; to leave. A fundamental verb of motion.

One of the most basic verbs in Chinese with several related meanings. It can mean 'to walk' (走路), 'to go' (我们走吧 — let's go), or 'to leave' (他走了 — he left). Also used as a directional complement: 走出去 (walk out), 走过来 (walk over). In ancient Chinese it meant 'to run', but in modern Chinese it means 'to walk'.

Examples

1. 我们走吧。 Let's go.
2. 他已经走了。 He has already left.
3. 从这里走十分钟就到了。 It's a ten-minute walk from here.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, movement

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我们走吧！(Let's go!)
• 他昨天走了。(He left yesterday.)

Don't Say

• 我走了学校。(Don't use 走 transitively for 'went to' — say 我去了学校 or 我走到了学校)

Origin & History

A pictograph showing a person in motion with feet, originally meaning 'to run' in ancient Chinese. The meaning shifted to 'to walk' in modern Mandarin.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal