走 meaning and stroke order
To walk; to go; to run
How to write 走, stroke by stroke
7 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Meaning of 走
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to walk
- to go
- to run
- to move (of vehicle)
- to visit
- to leave
How 走 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Someone 土 stepping with their foot 止.
How to remember 走
The top part looks like 土 (tǔ) and the bottom is 止 (zhǐ), a foot. Picture a person on top with their foot stepping below, moving along the ground: that is 走, to walk.
In modern Mandarin 走 (zǒu) usually means to walk or to go, and it often means to leave, as in 我走了 (wǒ zǒu le), I'm off. It also follows other verbs to show something moves away, as in 拿走 (názǒu) to take away. Example: 我们走路去学校。(Wǒmen zǒulù qù xuéxiào.) We walk to school.
Common mistake: Learners often think 走 means to run because of older or written meanings, but in everyday speech running is 跑 (pǎo), and 走 is walking or leaving. Also watch the bottom part: it is not written exactly like 止 on its own, as the last strokes stretch out to the right under the top.
Common words with 走
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 走路 | zǒulù | to walk; to go on foot; to leave; to depart | HSK 1 |
| 走开 | zǒukāi | to leave; to walk away; to beat it; to move aside | HSK 2 |
| 走进 | zǒujìn | to enter; to step into | HSK 2 |
| 走过 | zǒuguò | to walk past; to pass by | HSK 2 |
| 逃走 | táozǒu | to escape; to flee | HSK 5 |
| 拿走 | názǒu | to take away | HSK 6 |
| 走私 | zǒusī | to smuggle; to have an illicit affair | HSK 6 |
| 走廊 | zǒuláng | corridor; aisle; hallway; passageway; veranda | HSK 7-9 |
| 行走 | xíngzǒu | to walk | HSK 7-9 |
| 走近 | zǒujìn | to approach; to draw near to | HSK 7-9 |
| 出走 | chūzǒu | to leave home; to go off | HSK 7-9 |
| 走投无路 | zǒutóu-wúlù | to be at an impasse (idiom); in a tight spot | HSK 7-9 |
| 走后门 | zǒu hòumén | (lit.) to enter through the back door; (fig.) to pull strings; to use connections | HSK 7-9 |
| 走过场 | zǒu guòchǎng | to go through the motions | HSK 7-9 |
走 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 走
Learning 走 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 走
How many strokes are in 走?
走 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 走 mean?
走 (zǒu) means to walk; to go; to run. A common word with it is 走路 (zǒulù), meaning "to walk; to go on foot; to leave; to depart".
How do you pronounce 走?
走 is pronounced zǒu, in the third tone (dipping).
Is 走 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 走 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 走 and 去?
去 (qù) means to go to a place and usually takes a destination, like 去北京. 走 focuses on the act of walking or leaving, so 我走了 means I'm leaving, without saying where.
Why do so many characters have 走 on the left side, like 起 and 超?
走 is a common component in characters about movement, such as 起 (qǐ) to rise, 超 (chāo) to pass, and 赶 (gǎn) to hurry. When it appears this way, the long final stroke extends under the other part of the character.