左脚 (zuǒ jiǎ) — left foot | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

left foot

Measure word · 只

Examples

左脚。
Wǒ de zuǒ jiǎ yǒu diǎn téng.
My left foot hurts a little.
左脚。
Tā zǒu lù shí zuǒ jiǎ xiān mài chū qù.
When he walks, his left foot steps out first.
左脚。
Yī shēng jiǎn chá le wǒ de zuǒ jiǎ.
The doctor examined my left foot.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

“左” is left and “脚” is foot, so the word means the foot on the left side.

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.

𠂇工左

Meaning part形符xíngfú

工工gōngwork

Sound part声符shēngfú

𠂇

𠂇𠂇左zuǒ

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

左 grew from the picture 𠂇, a left hand, with 工 (work) added later.

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.

Appears in

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