Meaning of 脚步
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- footstep
- step
How to use 脚步
脚步 refers to footsteps or the pace of walking, and it is also used figuratively for the pace of change or progress. Common phrases include 加快脚步 (speed up) and 放慢脚步 (slow down). Example: 我听到门外有脚步声。(Wǒ tīngdào mén wài yǒu jiǎobù shēng.) I heard footsteps outside the door.
脚 (jiǎo) means foot, and 步 (bù) means a step, so 脚步 is literally the steps your feet make. Picture the 月 (flesh) side of 脚 as your leg, and 步 as the step it takes.
Common mistake: Learners often use 脚步 when they mean a single physical step as a measure, such as walking three steps. In that case Chinese uses 步 alone, as in 走三步 (zǒu sān bù), not 三个脚步.
脚步 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
脚 jiǎo · foot · 11 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
步 bù · a step · 7 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Related words
Words that share a character with 脚步.
| 散步 | sànbù | to take a walk; to go for a walk |
| 进步 | jìnbù | progress; improvement; to improve; to progress |
| 进一步 | jìnyībù | to go a step further; (develop, understand, improve etc) more; further |
| 跑步 | pǎobù | to run; to jog |
| 初步 | chūbù | initial; preliminary |
| 步行 | bùxíng | to go on foot; to walk |
| 逐步 | zhúbù | progressively; step by step |
| 脚印 | jiǎoyìn | footprint |
| 地步 | dìbù | stage; degree (to which a situation has evolved); a (usu. bad) situation |
| 手脚 | shǒujiǎo | hand and foot; movement of limbs |
| 步骤 | bùzhòu | procedure; step |
| 让步 | ràngbù | to concede; to give in |
Questions about 脚步
What does 脚步 mean?
脚步 (jiǎobù) means "footstep; step" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 脚步?
脚步 is made of 2 characters: 脚 (11 strokes), 步 (7 strokes). That is 18 strokes in total.
Is 脚步 an HSK word?
Yes. 脚步 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 脚步 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 脚步 is written 腳步.
What is the difference between 脚步 and 步伐?
Both can mean pace or steps. 步伐 (bùfá) sounds more formal and is common in news writing about the pace of reform or development, while 脚步 is more everyday and can describe actual footsteps you hear.
How do I say the sound of footsteps in Chinese?
Add 声 (shēng) to get 脚步声 (jiǎobù shēng), the sound of footsteps. For example, 脚步声越来越近 (jiǎobù shēng yuè lái yuè jìn) means the footsteps are getting closer.