Meaning of 踩
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to step on
- to tread
- to stamp
- to press a pedal
- to pedal (a bike)
- (online) to downvote
- variant of 踩[cai3]
How to use 踩
踩 is an everyday verb for putting your foot down on something, whether by accident or on purpose, and also for pressing a pedal. Common phrases include 踩油门 (cǎi yóumén, to step on the gas) and 踩刹车 (cǎi shāchē, to hit the brakes). Example: 你踩到我的脚了。(Nǐ cǎi dào wǒ de jiǎo le.) You stepped on my foot.
踩 combines the foot radical 足 on the left with 采 (cǎi) on the right, which gives the sound. Picture your foot coming down on something you want to pick, and you have 踩 (cǎi), to step on.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 踩 (cǎi) with 菜 (cài, vegetable or dish), which shares the 采 part but has the grass radical on top and a fourth tone. Remember that 踩 has the foot radical on the left and a third tone.
踩 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.
踩 cǎi · to step on · 15 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
Related words
Words that share a character with 踩.
| 踩踏 | cǎità | to trample on |
Questions about 踩
What does 踩 mean?
踩 (cǎi) means "to step on; to tread" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 踩?
踩 is made of 1 character: 踩 (15 strokes). That is 15 strokes in total.
Is 踩 an HSK word?
Yes. 踩 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 踩 and 踏 (tà)?
Both mean to step on, but 踩 is more common in casual speech. 踏 sounds more formal or literary and often appears in set words like 踏实 (tàshi) or in the compound 踩踏 (cǎità), to trample.
How is 踩 used online?
On the internet 踩 means to downvote or criticize something, the opposite of 顶 (dǐng) or 赞 (zàn). For example, 这个视频被很多人踩了 (Zhège shìpín bèi hěn duō rén cǎi le) means many people downvoted this video.