迈

• Pinyin: mài
• Hanzi breakdown: 迈 = 辶 (walk/movement) + 万 (ten thousand/vast) — striding a vast distance

Meaning

To take a stride; to step forward with deliberate, purposeful movement. Used both literally (stepping/striding) and figuratively (making progress, crossing a threshold).

Commonly appears in compound verbs (迈步, 迈进, 迈过) or standalone to describe large, purposeful steps. Figuratively describes advances or breakthroughs in life, career, or historical development.

Examples

1. 运动员在最后一百米时加大步伐，奋力迈向终点，最终以微弱优势夺得冠军。 In the final 100 meters, the athlete lengthened his stride and fought toward the finish line, ultimately winning by a narrow margin.
2. 踏上异国土地的那一刻，他深知自己正式迈入了人生全新的篇章。 The moment he set foot on foreign soil, he knew he had officially entered a brand-new chapter of his life.
3. 孩子第一次迈出步子时，全家人都激动得热泪盈眶，围在旁边拍手欢呼。 When the child took his first steps, the whole family was so excited they burst into tears, clapping and cheering around him.

Usage Guide

Context: physical movement, figurative progress, literary

Tone: positive

Do Say

• 他鼓起勇气迈出了创业的第一步，尽管前路充满未知，但心中的热情与决心从未动摇。(He summoned his courage and took the first step into entrepreneurship; though the road ahead was full of uncertainty, his passion and determination never wavered.)
• 这项政策的出台标志着我国在医疗体制改革领域迈出了具有历史意义的重要一步。(The introduction of this policy marks an historically significant step forward for our country in the field of healthcare system reform.)

Don't Say

• 将迈与走或步完全互换 — 迈 implies a large, deliberate, often purposeful stride and frequently carries figurative weight; 走 is simply to walk and 步 refers to a step or pace without the sense of deliberate advancement

Origin & History

迈 = 辶 (walking/movement radical) + 万 (ten thousand — suggests going a great distance) — to stride far

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal