📖 Meaning
This idiom describes something that has many bends and turns, such as a winding path or road. It can also be used metaphorically to describe speech or behavior that is indirect and roundabout rather than straightforward.
📜 Origin Story
This is a colloquial expression from northern Chinese dialects rather than a classical literary quotation. It combines '曲' (curved) with '拐弯' (to turn a corner), with '里' inserted as an intensifying infix common in spoken Chinese. The phrase vividly depicts a path or route that twists and turns repeatedly. It has been used in everyday speech for generations to describe both physical winding roads and indirect, evasive ways of communicating.
💡 Example Usage
这条小路曲里拐弯的，走了半天才到村口。
This little path winds and turns so much that it took ages to reach the village entrance.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 曲里拐弯
- Pinyin: qū lǐ guǎn wān
- Literal Translation: curved, inside, turn, bend
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4