脚 (jiǎo) — foot; leg (of an animal); base (of an object)
Definition
脚 is the body part from ankle to toes, like English 'foot' (often including the lower leg in animals). 腿 is the whole leg above the foot; 脚底 means only the sole. Measure with 双 for a pair or 只 for one.
noun
footleg (of an animal)base (of an object)
Measure word · 双, 只
Easily confused
- 却quèlook-alike(adverb) but, yet, however (indicating contrast or unexpectedness)
- 角jiǎosound-alike(classifier) unit of currency equal to one-tenth of a yuan (10 fen); dime
- 搅jiǎosound-aliketo stir, to mix
- 缴jiǎosound-aliketo pay (taxes, fees, dues, tuition, etc.)
- 绞jiǎosound-aliketo twist (strands, wires, etc.) into a thread or coil
Examples
- 脚。Tā de jiǎo hěn téng.His foot hurts.
- 脚。Wài pó zuò le jī jiǎo tāng.Grandma made chicken foot soup.
- 。Tā men bǎ dōng xī fàng zài qiáng jiǎo.They put the things at the base of the wall.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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.
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.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 3 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.