马路

mǎ lù

road; street

HSK Level 1

Example Sentences

我在马路上散步。

Wǒ zài mǎlù shàng sàn bù.

I am taking a walk on the road.

马路上有很多人。

Mǎlù shàng yǒu hěn duō rén.

There are many people on the road.

马路上有车。

Mǎlù shàng yǒu chē.

There are cars on the road.

Synonyms

公路 (gōnglù)

highway

街道 (jiēdào)

street

大道 (dàdào)

avenue

Antonyms

人行道 (rénxíngdào)

sidewalk

小路 (xiǎolù)

path

Start Learning with HSK Tracker

Track your progress, master characters, and achieve your Chinese language goals.

Get Started Free
HSK Tracker Preview

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 马路 (mǎlù) for "road" is a compound of two characters: 马 (mǎ), meaning "horse", and 路 (lù), meaning "path" or "road". The term "horse road" likely originated from the fact that, in ancient China, horses were the primary mode of transportation and roads were primarily used by horses and other animals. Over time, the term "horse road" became shortened to simply "road" and is now used to refer to any paved or unpaved surface used for transportation.