<p>原地踏步 basically means "going around in circles".</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-30T17:07:29.400Z
2017-10-31T16:19:58.437Z
2017-10-31T16:19:58.437Z
ckpwong
<p>Actually, 原地踏步 is not a Cantonese phrase, it's just a Chinese phrase. </p>

<p>The literal meaning is marking time, and it's often used to describe a situation that one doesn't make progress or fall behind.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>班长命令战士们原地踏步.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.  </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我要么原地踏步直到获得晋升（这看来得是几年以后的事了），要么改变现在正做的事情。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I could either tread water until I was promoted, which looked to be a few years away, or I could change what I was doing.   </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-02T09:20:00.840Z
cool thanks! but why 原地? the last two characters make sense.
Crashalot
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-02T16:12:07.223Z
Perhaps you've learned 原 as "field", but it has another meaning: "original".
broccoli forest
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-03T09:56:44.647Z
Actually, 原 means original and 地 means field.
biubiubiu
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-02T09:11:12.340Z
2014-12-03T09:19:43.150Z
2014-12-03T09:19:43.150Z
biubiubiu
<p>Heard this on TVB: 原地踏步. What does the phrase mean? There's nothing in the Cantonese dictionary for this phrase.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-02T18:51:51.943Z
The Perapera Chinese Pop-up Dictionary knows this phrase, as does the Yellowbridge Mandarin-English Talking Dictionary. Good resources.  As to paper, it is in the big 2000 page Oxford Chinese Dictionary.
Colin McLarty
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-31T07:17:31.343Z
The literal meaning in Chinese is **to step on the same position**, translated to English is **to mark time** in military training. The extended meaning is **no progress or improvement** on something.
xenophōn
<cantonese>
What does 原地踏步 mean in Cantonese?
# What does 原地踏步 mean in Cantonese?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-12-02)

Heard this on TVB: 原地踏步. What does the phrase mean? There's nothing in the Cantonese dictionary for this phrase.

**Tags:** cantonese

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The Perapera Chinese Pop-up Dictionary knows this phrase, as does the Yellowbridge Mandarin-English Talking Dictionary. Good resources.  As to paper, it is in the big 2000 page Oxford Chinese Dictionary.  
> **username_2**: The literal meaning in Chinese is **to step on the same position**, translated to English is **to mark time** in military training. The extended meaning is **no progress or improvement** on something.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2014-12-02. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

Actually, 原地踏步 is not a Cantonese phrase, it's just a Chinese phrase.

The literal meaning is marking time, and it's often used to describe a situation that one doesn't make progress or fall behind.

> 班长命令战士们原地踏步.

The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.

> 我要么原地踏步直到获得晋升（这看来得是几年以后的事了），要么改变现在正做的事情。

I could either tread water until I was promoted, which looked to be a few years away, or I could change what I was doing.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: cool thanks! but why 原地? the last two characters make sense.  
> **username_5**: Perhaps you've learned 原 as "field", but it has another meaning: "original".  
> **username_4**: Actually, 原 means original and 地 means field.  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2017-10-30. Score: 0

原地踏步 basically means "going around in circles".


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