修脚师 (xiū jiǎo shī) — pedicurist

Definition

A specialist who trims, cleans, and treats the feet and toenails — common in China as a traditional trade, often at a 修脚店. Note the pronunciation is xiū jiǎo shī (the shī 'master/professional' suffix is light and may be elided in speech).

noun
pedicurist
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 修脚师。
    Wǒ měi gè yuè de jiǎo dōu shì zhè wèi xiū jiǎo shī bāng wǒ xiū de.
    I have my feet done by this pedicurist every month.
  • 修脚师，。
    Zhè jiā diàn lǐ de xiū jiǎo shī jì shù hěn hǎo, gù kè hěn duō.
    The pedicurist in this shop has great technique and many customers.
  • 修脚师，。
    Tā shì yì míng zhuān yè de xiū jiǎo shī, yǐ jīng gōng zuò shí nián le.
    She is a professional pedicurist who has been working for ten years.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

修脚trim feet
修xiūtrim脚jiǎofeet
动宾Verb + object
师shīskilled person

修脚 means trim feet and 师 means skilled person, so the word names a foot-trimming professional.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
彡彡shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
攸
攸yōu修xiū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

修 is built from 攸, which gives the sound, and 彡, a set of three strokes that shows the meaning.

Open 修 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 腳; 脚 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺼Written in full as肉ròumeat, body
Sound part声符shēngfú
卻
卻què腳jiǎo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 腳 uses ⺼ for a body part and 卻 for the sound; the simplified 脚 is a later shorthand.

Open 脚 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 師; 师 is its simplified writing.

  • 𠂤𠂤𠂤
  • 帀帀zā

The traditional form 師 combines 𠂤 and 帀; the simplified 师 is not the form explained here.

Open 师 →

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