腿

• Pinyin: tuǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 腿 = 月 (flesh/body) + 退 (retreat, phonetic) — the body part used for walking and movement

Meaning

Leg. The lower limb of the body, from hip to foot.

Refers to both human and animal legs. Also used for the legs of furniture (桌子腿, table leg) and in food contexts (鸡腿, chicken leg). Common in descriptions of physical activities, injuries, and body parts.

Examples

1. 我的腿有点酸。 My legs are a bit sore.
2. 跑步对腿很好。 Running is good for your legs.
3. 他摔了一跤，腿受伤了。 He took a fall and hurt his leg.

Usage Guide

Context: body parts, health, exercise

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 走了一天，腿好累。(After walking all day, my legs are so tired.)
• 我想吃一个鸡腿。(I want to eat a chicken leg.)

Don't Say

• 我的腿很手 (Don't mix up body part words — 腿 is for legs only; arms are 胳膊, hands are 手)

Origin & History

月 (flesh/body radical) + 退 (tuì, retreat, phonetic component). A body part related to movement.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal