zǒu走walktóu投roadwú无nolù路road
To have no way out; to be in a hopeless situation.
Literal meaning
walk (走) — road (投) — no (无) — road (路)
Origin
A classical four-character phrase describing a desperate situation.
Examples
Tā zǒutóu-wúlù, zhǐhǎo xiàng péngyou qiúzhù.他走投无路，只好向朋友求助。
Having no way out, he had to ask his friend for help.
Zài zǒutóu-wúlù de shíhou, bùyào fàngqì xīwàng.在走投无路的时候，不要放弃希望。
When you have no way out, don't give up hope.
Usage & nuances
Emphasizes the severity of a difficult situation.
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