jiǎo bù
pas; pas; allure
Practice writing with stroke order guidance, audio pronunciation, and interactive exercises in our mobile app.
Step-by-step stroke order animations
Native speaker audio pronunciation
Interactive writing recognition
我听到脚步声了。
wǒ tīng dào jiǎobù shēng le.
I heard footsteps.
他蹑手蹑脚地走了进来。
tā niè shǒu niè jiǎo de zǒu le jìn lái.
He tiptoed in.
我跟着他的脚步走。
wǒ gēn zhe tā de jiǎobù zǒu.
I followed in his footsteps.
步履 (bù lǚ)
footsteps
足迹 (zú jì)
footprints
停滞 (tíngzhì)
stagnation
后退 (hòutuì)
retreat
The Chinese word 脚步 (jiǎobù) is composed of two characters: 脚 (jiǎo), meaning "foot", and 步 (bù), meaning "step". Together, they literally mean "foot step" and refer to the action of walking or taking steps.The character 脚 (jiǎo) has a long history in Chinese writing, dating back to the oracle bone script of the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC). In its earliest form, the character depicted a foot with a heel and five toes. Over time, the character evolved to its current form, which is a simplified version of the original.The character 步 (bù) also has a long history, dating back to the oracle bone script. In its earliest form, the character depicted a person walking with two legs. Over time, the character evolved to its current form, which is a simplified version of the original.The combination of 脚 (jiǎo) and 步 (bù) to form the word 脚步 (jiǎobù) is a natural one, as the two characters complement each other to convey the meaning of "foot step". The word is commonly used in everyday speech and writing to refer to the action of walking or taking steps.