(rào) - To wind around & to encircle

Tone 4

rào | 15 strokes | radical:

· rào

To wind around;

to encircle;

to go around;

to bypass;

to detour.

To wind aroundto encircleto go around

Usage highlights

to wind around a mountainto bypass a difficultyto encircle a cityto detour around an obstacleto coil around a poleto go around in circles

Synonyms

  • to wind around; to coil (simplified/common variant)
  • to surround; to encircle
  • to encircle; to surround

Antonyms

  • straight; direct
  • 穿to pass through; to penetrate

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The river winds around the mountain (河流遶山).
  • We had to detour around the construction site (我们不得不遶过建筑工地).
  • The path encircles the ancient temple (小径遶古寺).

Collocations

  • to wind around a mountain(遶山)
  • to bypass a difficulty(遶过困难)
  • to encircle a city(遶城)
  • to detour around an obstacle(遶过障碍)
  • to coil around a pole(遶杆)
  • to go around in circles(遶圈子)

Idioms

  • To beat around the bush(迂回遶弯)
  • The dragon coils around the pillar(龙遶柱)
  • Winding paths lead to secluded spots(曲径遶幽)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Often used in classical Chinese poetry to describe winding rivers, paths, or natural features.
  • In Buddhist context, can refer to circumambulation (walking around a sacred object or site).
  • Appears in traditional descriptions of landscape and architecture.

FAQ