走 originally depicted a person in motion in oracle bone script — the top component showed a person with arms swinging, and the bottom showed feet stepping. In Classical Chinese it specifically meant "to run," while 行 (xíng) meant "to walk." Over time, the meanings shifted: in Modern Mandarin, 走 settled into "to walk / to go," while 跑 (pǎo) took over the sense of "to run."

走 is extremely versatile in everyday Mandarin. "走吧！" (Zǒu ba!) is one of the most common parting or rallying phrases, meaning "Let's go!" It also appears in set phrases like 走运 (zǒu yùn, "to be lucky," literally "luck is walking your way") and 走红 (zǒu hóng, "to become popular/famous"). Be careful not to confuse it with 去 (qù, "to go to a destination") — 走 emphasizes the act of moving or leaving, while 去 stresses the destination.