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拳脚 (quán jiǎo) — fists and feet; Chinese boxing; martial arts techniques

Definition

Literally 'fists and feet,' used as a collective noun for Chinese boxing and martial arts techniques (as in 拳脚功夫). It emphasizes the physical, unarmed fighting skills, not the philosophy or sport as a whole.

noun
fists and feetChinese boxingmartial arts techniques

Examples

  • 拳脚。
    Tā yòng quán jiǎo dǎ dǎo le yí gè rén.
    He knocked down a person with his fists and feet.
  • 拳脚。
    Tā zài wǔ shù bǐ sài zhōng dà zhǎn quán jiǎo.
    He fully demonstrated his martial arts skills in the competition.
  • 拳脚。
    Shī fu jiào le tā hěn duō quán jiǎo gōng fu.
    The master taught him a lot of martial arts techniques.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

拳quánfist
脚jiǎofoot

拳 means fist, 脚 means foot, together naming strikes made with both.

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
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
龹
龹龹拳quán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拳 pairs 手 (hand) with 龹 for sound. The hand part shows that the meaning is a form of hand, such as a fist.

Open 拳 →

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 →
Appears in
Sports & Athletics

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