拐杖

• Pinyin: guǎi zhàng
• Hanzi breakdown: 拐 = 扌 (hand) + 另 (aside; turn) — a stick held in hand for turning or bending support; 杖 = 木 (wood) + 丈 (unit of length) — a wooden rod of measured length

Meaning

Walking stick; cane; crutch. A supportive device used by elderly people or those recovering from injury to assist with walking.

拐杖 primarily refers to a single walking stick or cane. 腋杖 or 腋下拐 refers to underarm crutches. In figurative language, 拐杖 can represent something or someone relied upon as a support — a crutch in the metaphorical sense, often implying unhealthy dependence.

Examples

1. 祖父年迈腿脚不便，出门时需要拄着拐杖，缓缓向前而行。 My grandfather is old and unsteady on his feet, so when he goes out he needs a cane and walks forward slowly.
2. 他骨折康复期间每天靠拐杖辅助行走，坚持完成全套物理治疗课程。 While recovering from a fracture, he relied on a cane to help him walk and stuck with the full course of physical therapy.
3. 优秀的老师是引路人而非拐杖，目的是让学生逐渐学会独立思考。 A great teacher is a guide, not a crutch—the goal is to help students gradually learn to think independently.

Usage Guide

Context: medical, elderly care, daily life

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 医生建议他在恢复期间坚持使用拐杖，以减轻对受伤腿部的压力。(The doctor advised him to consistently use a cane during recovery to reduce pressure on the injured leg.)
• 老奶奶拄着拐杖，一步一步稳稳地走向公园里的长椅。(The elderly woman walked steadily step by step with her walking stick towards a bench in the park.)

Don't Say

• 将'拐杖'直接用于批评某人完全依赖他人而不独立 — 拐杖 as a metaphor for unhealthy reliance is possible but should be explicit; use 过度依赖 or 离不开 for clearer expression without ambiguity

Origin & History

拐 (to turn; bent; a bent stick) + 杖 (staff; stick; rod). Literally means a bent stick used for support — hence a walking stick.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal