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road / path / way

13 strokes · 足 (foot radical) + 各 · HSK 1

Where 路 comes from

路 = 足 (foot) + 各. The foot radical makes the meaning plain: a road is what feet travel on. It means a road, path, route, or journey.

路 in Chinese culture

路 is the road, literal and figurative: 走路 (to walk, 'travel the road' — with 走), 路上 (on the way — with 上), 一路平安 ('safe journey', a warm farewell). Streets are named with 路: 中山路 (Zhongshan Road). And the most famous 路 of all is 丝绸之路 — the Silk Road, the ancient route that carried Chinese silk, ideas, and characters west. Every character you learn is itself a small step on a 路.

Example

走路 zǒu lù — to walk (on foot)

他走路去学校。
Tā zǒu lù qù xuéxiào.
He walks to school.

How to remember it

A foot (足) on the ground — the ROAD it travels.

一路平安 ('peace the whole road') is a warm 'safe travels'. The most famous 路 is 丝绸之路 — the Silk Road, which carried Chinese silk and writing to the West.

Same sound, different tones

1st lū
to stroke / scoop
2nd lú
(a surname)
3rd lǔ
blunt / Shandong
4th lù
road

Words unlocked by 路

走路 zǒu lù
to walk
路上 lùshàng
on the way
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One character a morning · 169-character HSK library · iOS