步

• Pinyin: bù
• Hanzi breakdown: 步 = 止 (foot/stop) on top + lower component, depicting the motion of walking

Meaning

Step; pace. A unit of walking movement, also used as a measure word for stages or phases.

Used both literally for physical steps and figuratively for stages in a process. Common in phrases like 一步一步 (step by step), 进步 (progress), 散步 (to take a walk), and 跑步 (to jog/run).

Examples

1. 爷爷每天晚饭后都要出去走几步。 Grandpa goes out for a short walk after dinner every day.
2. 学中文要一步一步来，不能太着急。 Learning Chinese should be done step by step — you can't rush it.
3. 从这里到学校只有几百步的距离。 It's only a few hundred steps from here to the school.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, exercise, figurative

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我们一步一步地解决这个问题。(Let's solve this problem step by step.)
• 他每天跑步锻炼身体。(He jogs every day to keep fit.)

Don't Say

• 走一个步 (Don't use 一个步 — the correct measure word phrase is 走一步 without 个)

Origin & History

An ancient character combining 止 (stop/foot) doubled, representing the alternating movement of two feet while walking.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal