独木桥

獨木橋

dúmùqiáo

noun #31,268

Measure Word

一座独木桥 zuò

Meanings

1 single-log bridge
2 (fig.) narrow / difficult path

Characters

Examples

我们过了一座独木桥才到对岸。

Wǒmen guò le yī zuò dúmùqiáo cái dào duì'àn.

We crossed a single-log bridge to reach the other shore.

你走你的阳关道，我过我的独木桥。

Nǐ zǒu nǐ de yángguāndào, wǒ guò wǒ de dúmùqiáo.

You take your broad highway, I'll take my narrow bridge — let's go our separate ways.

Tips

culture

The proverb 你走你的阳关道，我过我的独木桥 contrasts the wide open Yangguan road (阳关道) with the precarious one-log bridge — a vivid way of saying 'we'll go our own ways and not bother each other.' Single-log bridges also appear as a metaphor for the gaokao (the college-entrance exam): 千军万马过独木桥 — a thousand armies all crossing one narrow bridge.

Stroke Order

独 dú

木 mù

桥 qiáo