走弯路

走彎路
zǒuwānlù
  1. to take an indirect route
  2. to waste one's time by using an inappropriate method

CEDICT

Entry Composition

1 走 zǒu
  1. to walk
  2. to go
  3. to run
  4. to move (of vehicle)
  5. to visit
  6. to leave
  7. to go away
  8. to die (euph.)
  9. from
  10. through
  11. away (in compound verbs, such as 撤走 chèzǒu)
  12. to change (shape, form, meaning)
2 弯路 wānlù
  1. winding road
  2. roundabout route
  3. detour
  4. (fig.) wrong way (of doing sth)