脚力 (jiǎo lì) — leg strength; stamina for walking or climbing;…

Definition

Leg strength or stamina for walking and climbing. The historical sense of a foot-messenger or porter is archaic.

noun

leg strengthstamina for walking or climbing(archaic) portermessenger who travels on foot

，脚力。
Tā měi tiān pǎo bù, jiǎo lì hěn hǎo.
He runs every day, so his leg strength is very good.
脚力。
Pá zhè zuò shān xū yào hěn hǎo de jiǎo lì.
Climbing this mountain requires very good leg strength.
脚力，。
Gǔ dài jiǎo lì kào zǒu lù sòng xìn, fēi cháng xīn kǔ.
In ancient times, porters delivered letters on foot — it was very hard work.

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.

力lìstrength

力 of the 脚, meaning leg strength or stamina for walking.

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.

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.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

力 is drawn as either an arm bending out from the side of the body or a wooden plough.