脚脖子 (jiǎo bó zi) — ankle (colloquial)

Definition

A colloquial spoken term for the ankle. 脖子 here is just a casual suffix meaning 'thin jointed part'; the standard medical/anatomical word is 踝关节.

noun

ankle (colloquial)

脚脖子。
Wǒ bù xiǎo xīn niǔ le jiǎo bó zi.
I accidentally sprained my ankle.
脚脖子。
Tā de jiǎo bó zi hěn xì.
Her ankle is very slender.
脚脖子。
Tā yùn dòng shí shāng le jiǎo bó zi.
He injured his ankle while exercising.

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.

脖子neck

脚 is foot and 脖子 is neck, so the word pictures the neck-like part 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

⺼Written in full as肉ròuflesh

Sound part声符shēngfú

孛

Same sound today

脖 combines ⺼, meaning flesh, with 孛, which gives the sound.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.