踏 meaning and stroke order
To tread; to stamp; to step on
How to write 踏, stroke by stroke
15 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 踏
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to tread
- to stamp
- to step on
- to press a pedal
- to investigate on the spot
- see 踏實|踏实[ta1 shi5]
How 踏 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Foot.
足 gives the meaning and 沓 hints at the sound.
Radical: 足 (foot), shared by 119 characters on this site.
How to remember 踏
踏 is a pictophonetic character: the foot radical 足 on the left shows the meaning, and 沓 (tà) on the right gives the sound. Picture a foot coming down again and again, treading on the ground.
踏 (tà) means to step on or tread, and it often appears in words about setting foot somewhere or pressing with the foot, like 踏上 (tàshang) and 踏板 (tàbǎn, pedal). Example: 他第一次踏上中国的土地。(Tā dì yī cì tàshang Zhōngguó de tǔdì.) He set foot on Chinese soil for the first time.
Common mistake: In 踏实 (tāshi, steady, down-to-earth) the character is read with first tone tā, not fourth tone tà, so learners often mispronounce this common word. Also do not confuse 踏 with 蹈 (dǎo), which also has a foot radical and appears in 舞蹈 (wǔdǎo, dance).
Common words with 踏
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 踏实 | tāshi | firmly-based; steady | HSK 6 |
| 踏上 | tàshang | to set foot on; to step on or into | HSK 7-9 |
| 脚踏车 | jiǎotàchē | (Tw) bicycle; bike | |
| 践踏 | jiàntà | to trample | |
| 踏进 | tàjìn | to set foot in; to tread (in or on) | |
| 踢踏舞 | tītàwǔ | tap dance | |
| 踏板 | tàbǎn | pedal (in a car, on a piano etc); treadle | |
| 脚踏 | jiǎotà | pedal | |
| 脚踏实地 | jiǎotàshídì | to have one's feet firmly planted on the ground (idiom); realistic without flights of fanc | |
| 踏足 | tàzú | to set foot on (a foreign land etc); to tread; (fig.) to enter (a new sphere) | |
| 踩踏 | cǎità | to trample on |
踏 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 踏
How many strokes are in 踏?
踏 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 踏 mean?
踏 (tà) means to tread; to stamp; to step on. A common word with it is 踏实 (tāshi), meaning "firmly-based; steady".
How do you pronounce 踏?
踏 is pronounced tà, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 踏?
The radical of 踏 is 足, which carries the idea of "foot". Dictionaries list 踏 under this radical.
Is 踏 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 踏 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 踏 and 踩?
Both mean to step on. 踩 (cǎi) is the everyday spoken word, as in 踩到狗屎 (step in dog poop). 踏 sounds more formal or literary and appears mostly in set words like 踏上 and 践踏.
What does 踏实 mean when describing a person?
踏实 (tāshi) describes someone who is steady, practical and hardworking, with their feet on the ground. It can also describe a calm feeling, as in 心里很踏实 (xīnli hěn tāshi), feeling at ease.