踏

• Pinyin: tà
• Hanzi breakdown: 踏 = 足 (foot) + 沓 (phonetic) — to step with the foot

Meaning

To step on; to tread; to trample. The action of putting one's foot down on something.

Common collocations: 踏步 (to mark time, step in place), 踏青 (spring outing), 踏板 (pedal), 脚踏车 (bicycle), 脚踏实地 (down-to-earth). Has both literal (physical stepping) and figurative uses (踏入社会 = to enter society). Note: pronounces differently in some compounds — 踏实 (tā shi).

Examples

1. 春天到了，很多人都喜欢出去踏青。 Spring has arrived, and many people like to go out for spring outings.
2. 他一脚踏进门，就听到了孩子的哭声。 The moment he stepped through the door, he heard the child crying.
3. 做人要脚踏实地，不能好高骛远。 One should be down-to-earth and not aim unrealistically high.

Usage Guide

Context: movement, idioms, spring activities

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 小心，别踏到水坑里。(Careful, don't step in the puddle.)
• 周末我们一起去郊外踏青吧。(Let's go for a spring outing in the countryside this weekend.)

Don't Say

• 踩和踏意思接近，但'踩刹车'比'踏刹车'更常用 (踩 and 踏 are similar, but 踩刹车 is more common than 踏刹车 for pressing the brake)

Origin & History

A phonosemantic compound with 足 (foot) radical indicating the meaning relates to feet/stepping, and 沓 as the phonetic component.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal