踏上 (tà shàng) — to set foot on, to step onto (often metaphorica… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Literally 'to set foot on', but typically used metaphorically for beginning a new stage, journey, or chapter of life — more literary than 进入 or 开始.

verb

to set foot onto step onto (often metaphorical: to embark on, to begin)

Examples

踏上。
Tā zhōng yú tà shàng le qù běi jīng de huǒ chē.
He finally set foot on the train to Beijing.
，踏上，。
Bì yè hòu, tā tà shàng le shè huì, kāi shǐ zhǎo gōng zuò.
After graduation, she entered society and started looking for a job.
踏上，。
Tā men tà shàng le xīn de lǚ chéng, chōng mǎn qī dài.
They embarked on a new journey, full of anticipation.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

The sense of 踏 stepping joins 上 onto to mean set foot on.

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

沓

Same sound today

踏 has 足 (foot) as its left part to show a foot-related meaning, and 沓 as its right part to give the sound.

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

上 is drawn as a short horizontal line placed above a longer arc, marking a position above that arc.

Appears in

Change & Process Travel & Tourism

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