曲折

qūzhé

adjective HSK 7-9 #15,857

Meanings

1 winding; tortuous
2 complicated; full of twists and turns

Characters

to fold; to turn

Literally 'curves and folds' - describes both physical winding paths and figurative complications in a story or process.

Examples

HSK 3

他的人生经历十分曲折。

Tā de rénshēng jīnglì shífēn qūzhé.

His life experience has been full of twists and turns.

HSK 7-9

这条山路非常曲折。

Zhè tiáo shānlù fēicháng qūzhé.

This mountain road is very winding.

Tips

usage

曲折 is used equally for physical paths (曲折的小路) and life stories (曲折的经历). In literary contexts, a 曲折 plot is actually a compliment - it means the story is engaging with unexpected turns.

Stroke Order

曲 qǔ

折 zhé