跺脚 (duò jiǎ) — to stamp one's feet (in frustration, anger, or… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A separable verb meaning 'to stamp one's foot/feet' — usually from anger, frustration, or cold. The 脚 can detach from 跺 when inflected (跺了一下脚, 跺跺脚).

verb

to stamp one's feet (in frustration, anger, or cold)

Examples

跺脚。
Tā qì dé zhí duò jiǎ.
He was so angry that he kept stamping his feet.
，。
Wài miàn tài lěng le, tā duò le duò jiǎo cái jìn wū.
It was so cold outside that she stamped her feet a few times before entering the house.
，。
Tā duò le yí xià jiǎo, biǎo shì bù mǎn.
He stamped his foot once to show dissatisfaction.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

跺 'stamp' and 脚 'foot' describe stamping the feet.

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

朵

朵duǒ跺duò

Same sound today

跺 pairs 足 (foot), showing a foot action, with 朵 as the sound part.

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.

Appears in

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