此路不通

cǐlùbùtōng

phrase #33,498

Meanings

1 this road is closed / no through road
2 (figurative) this method does not work
3 this approach is a dead end

Characters

to pass through

Examples

前面立着一个'此路不通'的牌子。

Qiánmiàn lìzhe yī gè 'cǐlùbùtōng' de páizi.

There's a 'No Through Road' sign up ahead.

靠死记硬背学语言，此路不通。

Kào sǐjì-yìngbèi xué yǔyán, cǐlùbùtōng.

Trying to learn a language by rote memorization is a dead end.

Tips

culture

Literally a road sign — you'll see 此路不通 painted on actual barriers blocking dead-end alleys in China. The figurative use ('this approach won't work') is so common that the phrase frequently shows up in business and political commentary as shorthand for 'wrong direction, give up.'

Stroke Order

此 cǐ

路 lù

不 bù

通 tōng