修脚 (xiū jiǎ) — (noun) pedicure (the service or treatment); (verb-object) to get a pedicure; to have one's feet treated

Definition

修脚 is a verb-object word for foot/pedicure care — a service mainly done at specialized shops, not the cosmetic 美甲-style nail care. You can say 修脚 (verb) for the act, or 修脚服务 / 去修脚 for the service.

noun
pedicure (the service or treatment)(verb-object) to get a pedicureto have one's feet treated

Examples

  • 修脚。
    Wǒ xiǎng qù xiū jiǎ.
    I want to go get a pedicure.
  • 。
    Wǒ yí gè yuè xiū yí cì jiǎo.
    I get a pedicure once a month.
  • 修脚。
    Zhè jiā diàn de xiū jiǎ fú wù hěn hǎo.
    This shop's pedicure service is very good.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

修xiūtrim
脚jiǎofeet

修 means trim or treat; 脚 is feet, so the word is to treat the feet.

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 →

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