TongTong
Sign in

脚底 (jiǎo dǐ) — sole of the foot, bottom of the foot

Definition

noun
sole of the footbottom of the foot

Examples

  • 脚底。
    Wǒ de jiǎo dǐ hěn yǎng.
    The sole of my foot is very itchy.
  • ，脚底。
    Tā zǒu tài jiǔ, jiǎo dǐ dōu qǐ pào le.
    He walked for too long, and his soles developed blisters.
  • 脚底。
    Měi tiān yòng rè shuǐ pào jiǎo dǐ néng huǎn jiě pí láo.
    Soaking the soles of your feet in hot water every day can relieve fatigue.

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.

脚jiǎofoot
底dǐbottom

脚 points to the foot and 底 to its lowest surface, together naming the sole.

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.

Open 脚 →

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
广广guǎngbuilding
Sound part声符shēngfú
氐
氐dī底dǐ
Same sound today

底 pairs 广 (building) with 氐, pointing to the bottom or foundation of a building. Some read 氐 as a bowing figure or tree root, adding a sense of 'down'.

Open 底 →
Appears in
Body Parts

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.