HSK · Level 44
120 words
Chinese word
曲折
Pronunciation
Pinyinqū zhé
Meaning
- nountwists and turns
Example
他的故事有很多曲折。tā de gù shì yǒu hěn duō qū zhé
His story has many twists and turns.
More examples
她的人生经历了许多曲折。tā de rén shēng jīng lì le xǔ duō qū zhé
Her life went through many twists and turns.
Core concept
A route to a result that repeatedly bends around changes and obstacles instead of going straight.
Common phrases
经历曲折jīng lì qū zhé
go through twists and turns
遭遇曲折zāo yù qū zhé
run into twists and turns
Similar words
波折bō zhé: Problems that arise unexpectedly and briefly hold up an event or plan.
转折zhuǎn zhé: A sudden change in the course of events that brings a new direction or outcome.
挫折cuò zhé: A setback that makes an effort or plan fall short of its goal.
Definition in Chinese
事情发展中出现的弯曲转折或阻碍，指过程复杂、经历多次变故后才达到结果的状态。shì qíng fā zhǎn zhōng chū xiàn de wān qū zhuǎn zhé huò zǔ ài zhǐ guò chéng fù zá jīng lì duō cì biàn gù hòu cái dá dào jié guǒ de zhuàng tài
Word origin
曲 (qū, "bend") + 折 (zhé, "turn or fold") creates the picture of a route that changes direction, then extends to a complicated course of events.
Usage tips
- In conversation, this word can sound formal, so simpler expressions often make a brief comment about a difficult course of events sound more natural.
Other meanings
- complicationsnoun
- ups and downsnoun