拐弯

• Pinyin: guǎi wān
• Hanzi breakdown: 拐 = 扌 (hand) + 另 (other; turn aside) — to turn or bend; 弯 = 弓 (bow) + 亦 (also) — curved like a bow

Meaning

To turn a corner; to make a turn; to change direction. Both a physical turn while walking or driving, and a figurative shift in thinking or approach.

Used literally in navigation to describe turning at an intersection or bend. Figuratively, it describes someone who has difficulty changing their mindset or who finally adapts their approach. The idiom 拐弯抹角 (to beat around the bush) is a well-known extended expression. 拐弯处 means 'at the corner.'

Examples

1. 在前方路口向左拐弯，再走两百米左右就能看到银行。 Turn left at the intersection ahead, then go about 200 meters and you’ll see the bank.
2. 他思维固化，很难拐弯，一旦认定了某件事便很难改变立场。 His thinking is rigid and he has trouble “turning the corner”; once he’s convinced of something, it’s hard for him to change his position.
3. 车子在蜿蜒的山间小道上拐弯时，一片壮阔的山景突然呈现在眼前。 As the car rounded a bend on the winding mountain road, a magnificent mountain view suddenly appeared.

Usage Guide

Context: navigation, daily life, figurative

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 前方路口右拐弯，目的地就在五十米外，很容易找到。(Turn right at the upcoming intersection; the destination is fifty metres ahead and easy to find.)
• 他做人不拐弯，有话直说，同事们都觉得他爽快坦诚。(He doesn't beat around the bush and always speaks his mind; colleagues find him refreshingly straightforward.)

Don't Say

• 单独用'拐弯'来表达'拐弯抹角'的绕圈说话之意 — 拐弯 alone means 'to turn a corner'; use the full idiom 拐弯抹角 to describe talking in an evasive or roundabout way

Origin & History

拐 (to turn; to be bent; to limp) + 弯 (bend; curve). Together they mean 'to make a turn' or 'to go around a bend.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal