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落脚点 (luò jiǎo diǎn) — stopover; foothold; (figurative) starting point or basis

Definition

Literally 'where the foot lands': a stopover or foothold in the literal sense, but most often used figuratively as the 'starting point' or 'basis' a plan, theory, or argument rests on (e.g. 以…为落脚点).

noun
stopoverfoothold(figurative) starting point or basis

Examples

  • 落脚点。
    Zhè cì lǚ xíng de dì yī gè luò jiǎo diǎn shì běi jīng.
    The first stopover of this trip is Beijing.
  • 落脚点。
    Wǒ men xū yào zhǎo dào yí gè wěn dìng de luò jiǎo diǎn lái fā zhǎn yè wù.
    We need to find a stable foothold to develop our business.
  • 落脚点。
    Zhè ge lǐ lùn yǐ xiàn shí wèi luò jiǎo diǎn.
    This theory takes reality as its starting point.

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.

落脚settle
落luòdrop/land脚jiǎofoot
动宾Verb + object
点diǎnpoint/place

落脚点 is a 点 'point/place' for 落脚 'drop foot', hence a stopover or foothold.

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
洛
洛luò落luò
Same sound today

落 pairs 艹 with 洛; 洛 gives the sound, and 艹 relates to the meaning.

Open 落 →

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 點; 点 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
黑黑hēiblack
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn點diǎn(r)
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 點 pairs 黑 (black) with 占 for its sound; the simplified 点 is a later abbreviation.

Open 点 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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