How common it is
绕 appears often in everyday Chinese, so it is worth practicing early and reviewing often.
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Pronunciation focus
Say rào slowly first, then repeat it in a short phrase. Listen for the tone shape.
Usage note
绕的意思是围着某个东西转圈，或者把线、绳子等缠在别的东西上。比如说，我们绕着一个大树跑，或者把毛线绕成一个球。
Rào de yìsi shì wéizhe mǒuge dōngxi zhuàn quān, huòzhě bǎ xiàn, shéngzi děng chán zài bié de dōngxi shàng. Bǐrú shuō, wǒmen ràozhe yīgè dà shù pǎo, huòzhě bǎ máoxiàn rào chéng yīgè qiú.
To go around means to circle around something, or to wind a thread or rope around something else. For example, we run around a big tree, or wind yarn into a ball.
Context note
当我们说'绕路'，就是不走直路，而是走另一条路。在操场上跑步时，我们经常绕着跑道跑。绕还可以表示不直接说，比如'绕圈子说话'。
Dāng wǒmen shuō 'rào lù', jiùshì bù zǒu zhí lù, érshì zǒu lìng yī tiáo lù. Zài cāochǎng shàng pǎobù shí, wǒmen jīngcháng ràozhe pǎodào pǎo. Rào hái kěyǐ biǎoshì bù zhíjiē shuō, bǐrú 'rào quānzi shuōhuà'.
When we say 'take a detour', it means not taking the direct road, but taking another road. When running on the playground, we often run around the track. 'Rào' can also mean not speaking directly, like 'speaking in circles'.
5 examples
小猫绕着桌子走了一圈。
xiǎo māo rào zhe zhuō zi zǒu le yì quān。
The kitten walked around the table once.
我帮妈妈把毛线绕成球。
wǒ bāng mā ma bǎ máo xiàn rào chéng qiú。
I helped mom wind the yarn into a ball.
我们绕过大山去学校。
wǒ men rào guò dà shān qù xué xiào。
We go around the mountain to get to school.
绳子绕在树枝上很结实。
shéng zi rào zài shù zhī shàng hěn jiē shi。
The rope is strong wound around the tree branch.
小朋友绕圈跳舞很开心。
xiǎo péng yǒu rào quān tiào wǔ hěn kāi xīn。
The children were very happy dancing in a circle.
5 mini stories
小明和小红在公园里玩。他们绕着一棵大树跑来跑去。
xiǎo míng hé xiǎo hóng zài gōng yuán lǐ wán。 tā men rào zhe yì kē dà shù pǎo lái pǎo qù。
Xiao Ming and Xiao Hong are playing in the park. They are running around a big tree.
奶奶教我绕毛线。我慢慢地把线绕成一个圆球。
nǎi nai jiào wǒ rào máo xiàn。 wǒ màn màn dì bǎ xiàn rào chéng yí gè yuán qiú。
Grandma taught me to wind yarn. I slowly wound the thread into a round ball.
路上有个水坑，我们绕过去。这样鞋子就不会湿了。
lù shang yǒu gè shuǐ kēng， wǒ men rào guò qù。 zhè yàng xié zǐ jiù bú huì shī le。
There is a puddle on the road, so we go around it. That way our shoes won't get wet.
小兔子绕着萝卜转圈。它想怎么把萝卜拔出来。
xiǎo tù zi rào zhe luó bo zhuàn quān。 tā xiǎng zěn me bǎ luó bo bá chū lái。
The little rabbit circled around the carrot. It thought about how to pull the carrot out.
骑自行车时，要绕开路上的石头。这样才安全。
qí zì xíng chē shí， yào rào kāi lù shang de shí tou。 zhè yàng cái ān quán。
When riding a bicycle, you need to go around stones on the road. That way it is safe.