踢 meaning and stroke order
To kick; to play (e.g. soccer); (slang) butch (in a lesbian relationship)
How to write 踢, 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 踢
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to kick
- to play (e.g. soccer)
- (slang) butch (in a lesbian relationship)
How 踢 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Foot.
足 gives the meaning and 易 hints at the sound.
Radical: 足 (foot), shared by 119 characters on this site.
How to remember 踢
The left side is 足 (zú), foot, which tells you the meaning is about using your foot. The right side 易 (yì) gives a hint of the sound, so picture a foot that easily (易) sends a ball flying.
踢 is the everyday verb for kicking, and it is also the verb used for playing soccer. You also see it in words like 踢腿 (tītuǐ) for a kick in dance or martial arts. Example: 我们周末去踢足球。(Wǒmen zhōumò qù tī zúqiú.) We go play soccer on weekends.
Common mistake: Learners often say 玩足球 or 打足球 for playing soccer, but the correct verb is 踢足球 (tī zúqiú), while 打 is used for ball games played with the hands, like 打篮球. Also keep the first tone in tī, not the fourth tone of the phonetic part 易 (yì).
Common words with 踢
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 踢踏舞 | tītàwǔ | tap dance | |
| 踢腿 | tītuǐ | to kick; to do a kick (in dancing, martial arts etc) |
踢 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 踢
How many strokes are in 踢?
踢 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 踢 mean?
踢 (tī) means to kick; to play (e.g. soccer); (slang) butch (in a lesbian relationship). A common word with it is 踢踏舞 (tītàwǔ), meaning "tap dance".
How do you pronounce 踢?
踢 is pronounced tī, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 踢?
The radical of 踢 is 足, which carries the idea of "foot". Dictionaries list 踢 under this radical.
Is 踢 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 踢 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do you say 'kick someone out' in Chinese with 踢?
You can say 把他踢出去 (bǎ tā tī chūqù), to kick him out, either literally or figuratively, such as removing someone from a group chat. 踢出 (tīchū) is common in online contexts for kicking someone out of a group.
What does 踢 mean as slang?
In slang, 踢 (also written T) refers to the butch partner in a lesbian relationship. This comes from the English letter T, from 'tomboy', and is used mainly in Taiwan and online communities.