步行

• Pinyin: bù xíng
• Hanzi breakdown: 步 = 止 (stop/foot) + 少 variant — depicts alternating footsteps; 行 = 彳 (step with left foot) + 亍 (step with right foot) — to walk

Meaning

To walk; to go on foot. A slightly formal way to describe travelling by walking.

More formal than 走路 and often used in directions, signs, and official contexts. Commonly seen in phrases like 步行街 (pedestrian street) and travel descriptions. Frequently used to describe distance: 步行十分钟 means 'a ten-minute walk'.

Examples

1. 从这里步行到地铁站大约需要十分钟。 It takes about ten minutes to walk from here to the subway station.
2. 医生建议他每天步行半个小时。 The doctor advised him to walk for half an hour every day.
3. 这条步行街上有很多好吃的小店。 This pedestrian street has many delicious little shops.

Usage Guide

Context: travel, directions, health

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 步行去公司只要十五分钟。(It only takes fifteen minutes to walk to the office.)
• 这个景点适合步行游览。(This scenic spot is suitable for exploring on foot.)

Don't Say

• 朋友之间说'我们步行去吧' (Among friends, 步行 sounds overly formal — say 我们走着去吧 or 走路去吧 for a natural, casual tone)

Origin & History

步 means 'step' or 'pace'; 行 means 'to walk' or 'to travel'. The compound straightforwardly means 'to travel by steps', i.e. on foot.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal