脚掌 (jiǎo zhǎng) — sole of the foot | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

sole of the foot

Measure word · 个

，脚掌。
Pǎo bù shí, jiǎo zhǎng zhuó dì de fāng shì hěn zhòng yào.
When running, the way the sole of the foot hits the ground is very important.
脚掌，。
Tā de jiǎo zhǎng hěn hòu, shì hé zǒu shān lù.
His soles are thick, suitable for walking on mountain trails.
脚掌。
Yú jiā liàn xí yāo qiú jiǎo zhǎng píng wěn tiē dì.
Yoga practice requires the soles to be flat and steady on the ground.

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 'foot' specifies which 掌, 'sole/palm', is meant: the sole of the foot.

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.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

尚

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

It combines 手, meaning hand, with 尚, which gives it a sound close to shàng.