踏 meaning in English

tà

to tread; to stamp

HSK 6verb15 strokes

Meaning of 踏

Definitions from CC-CEDICT.

tà

to tread
to stamp
to step on
to press a pedal
to investigate on the spot

tā

see 踏實|踏实[ta1 shi5]

How to use 踏

踏 (tà) is a fairly formal or written verb for stepping on or setting foot somewhere, and it often appears in compounds like 踏上 (tàshang) and 踏进 (tàjìn). It is common in phrases about starting a journey or a new stage of life. Example: 他踏上了回家的路。(Tā tàshang le huí jiā de lù.) He set out on the road home.

踏 has the foot radical 足 on the left, so it is about feet. Picture your foot pressing down firmly on the ground with each step.

Common mistake: Learners often read 踏实 as tàshí, but in this word 踏 changes to the first tone and 实 is neutral: tāshi. Also, in everyday speech people usually say 踩 (cǎi) for stepping on something, so 踏 can sound bookish in casual talk.

踏 in example sentences

Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.

你nǐ的de脚jiǎo踏tà车chē和hé我wǒ的de很hěn相xiāng似sì。

Your bicycle is similar to mine.

齐qí莉lì再zài也yě不bù骑qí脚jiǎo踏tà车chē了le。

Ziri will never ride a bicycle again.

你nǐ什shén么me时shí候hòu买mǎi的de这zhè辆liàng脚jiǎo踏tà车chē？

When did you buy this bicycle?

我wǒ花huā了le一yī千qiān日rì圆yuán修xiū理lǐ脚jiǎo踏tà车chē。

It cost me a thousand yen to get my bicycle fixed.

我wǒ的de脚jiǎo踏tà车chē轮lún胎tāi没méi气qì了le。

My bicycle has a flat tire.

Stroke order for each character

Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.

踏 tà · to tread · 15 strokes

Related words

Words that share a character with 踏.

踏实	tāshi	firmly-based; steady
踏上	tàshang	to set foot on; to step on or into
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

Questions about 踏

What does 踏 mean?

踏 (tà) means "to tread; to stamp" and is used as a verb.

How do you write 踏?

踏 is made of 1 character: 踏 (15 strokes). That is 15 strokes in total.

Is 踏 an HSK word?

Yes. 踏 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.

What is the difference between 踏 and 踩?

Both mean to step on. 踩 (cǎi) is the everyday word, as in 踩到狗屎 (stepped in dog poop), while 踏 (tà) sounds more formal or literary and appears in set phrases like 踏上 and 践踏.

What does 踏实 mean when describing a person?

踏实 (tāshi) describes someone steady, down to earth and reliable in their work. It can also describe feeling at ease, as in 心里很踏实 (I feel reassured).