跳脚 (tiào jiǎo) — to stamp one's foot (in anger, frustration, or impatience)

Definition

A vivid verb meaning to stamp one's foot from strong emotion — anger, anxiety, or frustration, not a neutral step. Often used with 气得 or 急得 to stress the feeling that triggered it.

verb
to stamp one's foot (in anger, frustration, or impatience)

Examples

  • 跳脚。
    Tā qì dé zhí tiào jiǎo.
    He was so angry he kept stamping his foot.
  • ，跳脚。
    Mā ma tīng dào zhè ge xiāo xi, jí dé tiào jiǎo.
    When Mom heard the news, she was so anxious she stamped her feet.
  • 。
    Tā shēng qì dì tiào le yí cì jiǎo.
    She stamped her foot once in anger.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

跳tiàojump
脚jiǎofoot

跳 jump + 脚 foot, stamping the foot in anger or frustration.

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
足足zúfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
兆
兆zhào跳tiào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

跳 pairs 足 (foot) with 兆, which supplies the sound; the foot part shows the action is done with the feet.

Open 跳 →

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 →

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