趾 meaning and stroke order
Toe; tracks, footprints
How to write 趾, stroke by stroke
11 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 趾
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- toe
How 趾 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Foot.
足 gives the meaning and 止 hints at the sound.
Radical: 足 (foot), shared by 119 characters on this site.
How to remember 趾
趾 (zhǐ) puts the foot radical 足 next to 止 (zhǐ), which gives the sound. Think of your toes as the part of the foot 足 that touches the ground when you stop 止.
In everyday speech 趾 rarely stands alone. People say 脚趾 (jiǎozhǐ) or, more casually, 脚趾头 (jiǎozhǐtou). Example: 我的脚趾很疼。(Wǒ de jiǎozhǐ hěn téng.) My toe hurts a lot.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write 址 (zhǐ, site, address) instead of 趾, because both are pronounced zhǐ and contain 止. Remember that 址 with the earth radical 土 is for places, as in 地址 (dìzhǐ, address), and 趾 with 足 is for toes.
Common words with 趾
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 脚趾 | jiǎozhǐ | toe | |
| 脚趾头 | jiǎozhǐtou | toe |
趾 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 趾
How many strokes are in 趾?
趾 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 趾 mean?
趾 (zhǐ) means toe; tracks, footprints. A common word with it is 脚趾 (jiǎozhǐ), meaning "toe".
How do you pronounce 趾?
趾 is pronounced zhǐ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 趾?
The radical of 趾 is 足, which carries the idea of "foot". Dictionaries list 趾 under this radical.
How do you say big toe in Chinese?
The big toe is 大脚趾 (dà jiǎozhǐ), and the little toe is 小脚趾 (xiǎo jiǎozhǐ). You can also add 头 at the end in casual speech, as in 大脚趾头.
Is 趾 the same as 指 for fingers?
No. 指 (zhǐ) with the hand radical 扌 means finger, as in 手指 (shǒuzhǐ). 趾 with the foot radical 足 means toe. They share the same sound, so the radical tells you which one you need.