跑路

Chinese

		to run; to escape	road; path; way
simp. and trad. (跑路)		跑	路

Etymology

“to run away; to abscond; to do a runner ”

Calque of Hokkien 走路 (cháu-lō͘). The sense of “run” in the word 走 (zǒu) has become archaic in Mandarin and was replaced by 跑, but was retained in Hokkien.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): pǎolù

  (Zhuyin): ㄆㄠˇ ㄌㄨˋ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: pǎolù
    • Zhuyin: ㄆㄠˇ ㄌㄨˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: pǎolù
    • Wade–Giles: pʻao³-lu⁴
    • Yale: pǎu-lù
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: paoluh
    • Palladius: паолу (paolu)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ lu⁵¹/

Verb

跑路

1. to run away, abscond, flee or do a runner without caring others, leaving a mess, a dilemma or difficulties

   卷款跑路  ―  juǎnkuǎn pǎolù  ―  to run away with (customers' or investors') money

   那家健身房跑路了 [MSC, trad. and simp.]

   nàjiā jiànshēnfáng pǎolù le [Pinyin]

   (The holder of) that gym fled with money.

2. (slang, colloquial) to quit from a field; to no longer work in an organisation, an institution or a department

   提桶跑路  ―  títǒng pǎolù  ―  to quit from a field, especially from architecture, engineering, academy or construction

   我从那家公司跑路了 [MSC, trad. and simp.]

   wǒ cóng nàjiā gōngsī pǎolù le [Pinyin]

   I left that company.

3. to run an errand (for someone else)
4. to dash about; to rush about; to be busy socialising

Synonyms

• (to flee):
  • (Cantonese) 走佬 (zau² lou²), 著草 / 着草 (zoek³ cou²)
  • (Min Nan) 走路 (cháu-lō͘)