Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 徒步旅行 | túbù lǚxíng |
| 健行 | jiànxíng |
| 遠足 / 远足 | yuǎnzú |
The term for hiking can change depending on whether you are emphasizing the mode of travel, the health benefits or a planned outing. While 徒步旅行 refers to traveling on foot, people often use the shorter 徒步 as a verb in casual conversation to mean 'to hike' or 'to walk'.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 徒步 (túbù) literally means 'on foot' or 'walking'.
Which one should you use?
徒步旅行 (túbù lǚxíng) emphasizes the aspect of a long walk or a walking trip, whereas 徒步 (túbù) focuses more specifically on the mode of transport. 健行 (jiànxíng) is used when describing hiking as an activity for health or fitness. 远足 (yuǎnzú) is a more formal or literary term typically used for a planned outing or a school excursion.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
徒步旅行 is a formal term for traveling on foot. Similarly, 登山 (dēngshān) is a formal term that specifically refers to mountain climbing, though it is often used interchangeably with hiking. 远足 is also a formal or literary way to describe an excursion.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwan, 健行 (jiànxíng) is a common way to refer to hiking. In Hong Kong, hiking is often referred to as 行山 (hàahng sāan) in Cantonese.
How do you pronounce it?
túbù lǚxíng
Did you know?
- In historical contexts, 徒步 was often associated with punishment or poverty, as it described those who could not afford a horse or carriage.
- The character 徒 in 徒步 can also mean 'futile' or 'in vain' when used in other contexts, though it simply means 'on foot' here.
- In Cantonese, the term 行山 literally means 'walking the mountain', but it is used for any hike even if the terrain is relatively flat.
Examples in context
- 我在黄山上徒步旅行过I have hiked on Huangshan Mountain.
- 请问这附近有什么好的爬山路线吗？Excuse me, are there any good hiking routes around here?
- 我非常喜歡徒步旅行。Wǒ fēicháng xǐhuān túbù lǚxíng.I really like hiking.
- 這次徒步旅行很有趣。Zhè cì túbù lǚxíng hěn yǒuqù.This hiking trip was very interesting.
- 他正在計畫一場徒步旅行。Tā zhèngzài jìhuà yī chǎng túbù lǚxíng.He is planning a hiking trip.
Example conversation
Two friends are planning a trip together.
- 浩然 Haoran梓涵，你想一起去徒步旅行吗？Zǐhán, nǐ xiǎng yīqǐ qù túbù lǚxíng ma?Zihan, do you want to go hiking together?
- 梓涵 Zihan好啊，浩然，我们去哪里？Hǎo a, Hàorán, wǒmen qù nǎlǐ?Sure, Haoran, where shall we go?
- 浩然 Haoran我想去北边的山里。Wǒ xiǎng qù běibiān de shānlǐ.I want to go to the mountains in the north.
- 梓涵 Zihan听起来很不错，我准备好了。Tīng qǐlái hěn bùcuò, wǒ zhǔnbèi hǎo le.That sounds great, I'm ready.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hiking” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
