to walk; to leave; to go
HSK level
走 is written with 7 strokes. The animation replays automatically.
走 (zǒu) covers what English splits into 'walk,' 'leave,' and sometimes 'go.'
Three uses every learner needs. First, the literal motion: 走路 ('to walk,' on foot), as opposed to driving or taking transit. Second, 'to leave / depart from a place': 我要走了 = 'I'm leaving / I have to go' (not 'I'm walking'). Third, 'let's go / move' as a casual call to action: 走吧！ Two contrasts to keep clear.
Versus 去 (qù, 'to go to'): 去 needs a destination (去学校), while 走 emphasizes the act of going/leaving and often has no stated destination. Versus 跑 (pǎo, 'to run'): 走 is on foot at walking pace; 跑 is running. 走 also appears in many compounds: 走开 ('move aside'), 走进 ('walk in'), 带走 ('take away'), 拿走 ('take with you').
Note: Everyday verb. In casual speech, 走吧 ('let's go') is one of the most common phrases you'll hear.
走 appears in 7 Fluentide podcast episodes at natural native speed — each with the full Chinese script, pinyin, and line-by-line English translation.
我们走吧！
Wǒmen zǒu ba!
Let's go!
spoken
我每天走路去学校。
Wǒ měi tiān zǒulù qù xuéxiào.
I walk to school every day.
neutral
他已经走了。
Tā yǐjīng zǒu le.
He's already left.
spoken
对不起，我得走了。
Duìbuqǐ, wǒ děi zǒu le.
Sorry, I have to go.
spoken
请走开，我在工作。
Qǐng zǒukāi, wǒ zài gōngzuò.
Please move aside, I'm working.
neutral
跑 means 'to run.' 走 is walking pace. 他跑得很快 = 'he runs fast' vs 他走得很慢 = 'he walks slowly.'
去 + place = go to that place. 走 alone usually means leave/walk, not go-to-a-destination. 'I'm going home' = 我回家 / 我去家 (less natural), NOT 我走家.
走着 (with 着) marks the ongoing state 'while walking,' often in 走着说 ('talk while walking') or 走着瞧 ('we'll see, just wait'). Different grammatical construction.
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