躓 meaning and stroke order
To stumble, to totter; to fail, to be frustrated
How to write 躓, stroke by stroke
22 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 躓
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to stumble
How 躓 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Foot.
足 gives the meaning and 質 hints at the sound.
Radical: 足 (foot), shared by 119 characters on this site.
How to remember 躓
The foot radical 足 on the left tells you this is about feet, and 質 (zhì) on the right gives the sound. Picture your foot hitting something solid and heavy, a lump of 質 "substance", and you stumble.
躓 is a literary character, now mostly seen in traditional texts and set phrases. In simplified Chinese it is written 踬. The best-known phrase is 顛躓 (diānzhì, to stumble and fall), and it also appears figuratively for setbacks, as in 屢試屢躓 (lǚ shì lǚ zhì, to fail again and again despite repeated attempts).
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 躓 with 質 (zhì, quality) because they share the same sound and right side. Remember that only 躓 has the foot radical 足, since stumbling is done with the feet.
Questions about 躓
How many strokes are in 躓?
躓 is written with 22 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 躓 mean?
躓 (zhì) means to stumble, to totter; to fail, to be frustrated.
How do you pronounce 躓?
躓 is pronounced zhì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 躓?
The radical of 躓 is 足, which carries the idea of "foot". Dictionaries list 躓 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 躓?
躓 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 踬, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 躓 used in everyday spoken Chinese?
Rarely. In daily speech people say 絆倒 (bàndǎo, to trip) or 摔跤 (shuāijiāo, to fall) instead. 躓 belongs mainly to written and literary language.
What is the difference between 躓 and 跌 (diē)?
跌 (diē) is the common word for falling down and is used in everyday speech, such as 跌倒 (diēdǎo). 躓 focuses on stumbling or tottering and is much more formal. It is also used figuratively for failure.