步 meaning and stroke order
A step; a pace; walk
How to write 步, stroke by stroke
7 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Meaning of 步
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- a step
- a pace
- walk
- march
- stages in a process
- situation
How 步 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Modern form of 歨; putting one foot 止 in front of the other.
Radical: 止 (to stop), shared by 12 characters on this site.
How to remember 步
The top part is 止, a foot, and the bottom part is another foot drawn in reverse, so 步 (bù) shows one foot placed in front of the other. Two feet taking turns make a step.
步 means a step or pace and appears in many everyday words like 散步 (sànbù, to take a walk), 跑步 (pǎobù, to run), and 进步 (jìnbù, progress). It can also count steps or stages, as in 第一步 (dì yī bù, the first step). Example: 我们晚饭后去散步吧。(Wǒmen wǎnfàn hòu qù sànbù ba.) Let's go for a walk after dinner.
Common mistake: Learners often add a dot to the bottom part, writing it like 少 (shǎo). The bottom of 步 has no dot on the right. It is a short vertical stroke, a dot on the left, and a long sweeping stroke.
Common words with 步
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 散步 | sànbù | to take a walk; to go for a walk | HSK 3 |
| 进步 | jìnbù | progress; improvement; to improve; to progress | HSK 3 |
| 进一步 | jìnyībù | to go a step further; (develop, understand, improve etc) more; further | HSK 3 |
| 跑步 | pǎobù | to run; to jog | HSK 3 |
| 初步 | chūbù | initial; preliminary | HSK 3 |
| 步行 | bùxíng | to go on foot; to walk | HSK 4 |
| 逐步 | zhúbù | progressively; step by step | HSK 4 |
| 脚步 | jiǎobù | footstep; step | HSK 5 |
| 地步 | dìbù | stage; degree (to which a situation has evolved); a (usu. bad) situation | HSK 7-9 |
| 步骤 | bùzhòu | procedure; step | HSK 7-9 |
| 让步 | ràngbù | to concede; to give in | HSK 7-9 |
| 同步 | tóngbù | synchronous; to synchronize | HSK 7-9 |
| 步伐 | bùfá | pace; (measured) step | HSK 7-9 |
| 起步 | qǐbù | to set out; to set in motion | HSK 7-9 |
步 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 步
Learning 步 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 步
How many strokes are in 步?
步 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 步 mean?
步 (bù) means a step; a pace; walk. A common word with it is 散步 (sànbù), meaning "to take a walk; to go for a walk".
How do you pronounce 步?
步 is pronounced bù, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 步?
The radical of 步 is 止, which carries the idea of "to stop". Dictionaries list 步 under this radical.
Is 步 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 步 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What is the difference between 步 and 走 when talking about walking?
走 (zǒu) is the everyday verb for to walk or to go. 步 is mostly a noun for a step, or it appears inside compounds like 步行 (bùxíng, to go on foot). You say 我走路去 (wǒ zǒulù qù), not 我步去.
How do I use 步 to talk about progress or stages?
Use it with numbers or with words like 进一步 (jìnyībù, further) and 逐步 (zhúbù, step by step). For example, 下一步怎么办 (xià yī bù zěnme bàn) means what do we do next.