跑步

• Pinyin: pǎo bù
• Hanzi breakdown: 跑 = 足 (foot) + 包 (wrap, phonetic), to run; 步 = 止 (foot) above 止, meaning step

Meaning

To run; to jog. The activity of running, especially for exercise.

The standard term for running as exercise or sport. A verb-object compound (跑 = run, 步 = step). Used for casual jogging and serious running alike: 去跑步 (go for a run), 跑步比赛 (running race). Cannot be directly followed by an object — say 跑了五公里 not 跑步了五公里.

Examples

1. 我每天早上去公园跑步。 I go running in the park every morning.
2. 跑步是一种很好的锻炼方式。 Running is a very good form of exercise.
3. 下雨了，今天不能出去跑步了。 It's raining — I can't go out running today.

Usage Guide

Context: exercise, sports, daily life

Tone: active

Do Say

• 你喜欢跑步吗？(Do you like running?)
• 他每天跑步半个小时。(He runs for half an hour every day.)

Don't Say

• 我跑步了三圈。(Since 跑步 is a verb-object compound, don't insert a result after it — say 我跑了三圈, separating 跑 from 步.)

Origin & History

跑 = 足 (foot) + 包 (wrap, phonetic), meaning to run with the feet; 步 = 止 (foot) repeated, one step after another.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal