走 (zǒu) means "to walk" with 7 strokes, radical 走 (run), HSK 2 on the new exam.
Pronunciation
Meaning
Primary: to walk
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
Oracle bone and bronze forms show a person with arms swinging above a foot (止), depicting someone running. The upper component was a figure leaning forward with arms outstretched, the classic posture of vigorous motion, while the lower 止 is the ancient pictograph of a foot or footprint. The character originally meant 'to run', not 'to walk'.
Form evolution
In bronze inscriptions the running figure is still recognisable as a human silhouette with swinging arms. Seal script stylised the upper body into a cross-like shape (which later became 土 in appearance, though historically unrelated to 'earth') while preserving 止 below. Clerical and modern kaishu fixed the shape as 走, with the foot component rewritten as the bottom three strokes.
How the meaning evolved
In Classical Chinese 走 meant 'to run' (as in 走马看花, glancing at flowers from a galloping horse) and 行 meant 'to walk'. Over the centuries the senses shifted: 走 took over the everyday 'walk' meaning in modern Mandarin, while the older 'run' sense migrated to 跑. 走 further extended to 'leave, go away' (他走了) and abstract senses like 'to take a path' (走后门).
Cultural note
The idiom 走马看花 preserves the ancient 'run/gallop' meaning and describes a superficial, hurried look at something. Learners who assume 走 always means 'walk' are often puzzled when they meet classical texts where a general 走 across a battlefield is actually fleeing at full speed.
Mnemonic
Feet leave the earth — to walk
Decomposition
Breaking a character into its components makes it far easier to recall. Each component above links to its own detail page.
Basic info
| Pinyin | zǒu |
| Meanings | to walk |
| Stroke count | 7 strokes |
| Radical | 走 (#156: run) |
| New HSK exam | Recognise at HSK 2 |
| Frequency | #1451 most common |
Example sentences
我走路去学校。
Wǒ zǒu lù qù xuéxiào.
I walk to school.
From 走 (HSK 2)
Words containing 走
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 走 | zǒu | to walk | HSK 2 |
Related characters
Similar meaning (action)
On the new HSK 2 exam
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Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.