走

zǒu

run; flee; walk; go on foot

Meaning

  • Core sense: To run; rapid movement.
  • Military context: To flee, escape, or route (specifically indicating a collapse of order).

Grammar and usage

  • Primarily an intransitive verb of motion.
  • Frequently paired with directional markers to specify destination or departure.
  • Occasional causative usage meaning "to drive away" or "force to flee."

Distinctions

  • 走 vs. 行: 走 emphasizes the manner and speed of movement (the physical act), whereas 行 typically denotes a journey, a path, or the general fact of traveling.

History and forms

  • In Pre-Qin and early Han contexts, the default meaning is "run." The transition to the modern sense of "walk" or "go" is a later development.

Graphical notes

  • The composition (combining elements of foot and stopping/stepping) implies active propulsion.

Translator notes

  • When encountering this glyph in early texts, prioritize speed or urgency over leisurely transit.

Decontextualized translator aid. This page describes plausible lexical range; it does not choose what the glyph means in a particular passage.