Mandarin TempleMandarin Temple Beta Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
蹈 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
蹈dǎoto tread onvg, 17 strokes, radical 足, rank #20556, Very Hard
蹈dǎoto tramplevg, 17 strokes, radical 足, rank #20556, Very Hard
蹈dǎoto stampvg, 17 strokes, radical 足, rank #20556, Very Hard
蹈dǎoto fulfillvg, 17 strokes, radical 足, rank #20556, Very Hard
蹈dǎoTaiwan pr. [dào]vg, 17 strokes, radical 足, rank #20556, Very Hard
蹈dǎoto dance, to stamp the feetvg, 17 strokes, radical 足, rank #20556, Very Hard
蹈dǎoTaiwan pr. [dao4]unknown, 17 strokes, radical 足, rank #20556, Very Hard
dǎo(dao3) T3
  1. 1to tread on
  2. 2to trample
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
蹈dǎo(dao3)

The character 蹈 (dǎo) primarily means 'to tread on' or 'to trample.' It can also refer to dancing or stamping the feet, often in a rhythmic manner. In some contexts, it signifies fulfilling an action or duty, highlighting both physical movement and the notion of execution or completion.

Strokes17Radical足Frequency#20556DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, dance is often associated with celebrations and rituals, where the act of treading or stamping has symbolic meanings, such as expressing joy or honoring ancestors.

Memory Tip

Imagine a dancer joyfully stamping her feet on a stage, creating a rhythm with every tread. The character 蹈 is composed of the foot radical (足) and the character for 'to duplicate' (到), suggesting the idea of repeating the act of treading or dancing.

Meanings of 蹈

dǎo(dao3)
1to tread on
2to trample
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 蹈

蹈Simplified
17Strokes
足Radical
动语素dòngcíverb root (v.root)Part of Speech
#20556Frequency Rank

Podcast: 蹈

JasonAmy

Podcast: 蹈

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 蹈

Quick Contrast

踏 (tà) - use 蹈 (dǎo) when emphasizing rhythmic or dance-like movement, while 踏 (tà) is more about stepping or treading without the rhythmic nuance.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a dancer joyfully stamping her feet on a stage, creating a rhythm with every tread. The character 蹈 is composed of the foot radical (足) and the character for 'to duplicate' (到), suggesting the idea of repeating the act of treading or dancing.

Usage Notes

While 蹈 can be used in both formal and informal contexts, it is primarily seen in literary or artistic expressions related to dance. Be cautious with the tones; using dào instead of dǎo can change the meaning entirely. Common collocations include 蹈舞 (dǎo wǔ - to dance) and 蹈节 (dǎo jié - to follow a rhythm).

HSK Study Tips

Though not part of the HSK vocabulary, students should recognize 蹈 in literary texts and poetry, especially when learning about traditional dances. Focus on its usage in idiomatic expressions and poetry to enrich understanding.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, dance is often associated with celebrations and rituals, where the act of treading or stamping has symbolic meanings, such as expressing joy or honoring ancestors.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 蹈 with other similar-sounding characters, leading to incorrect meanings. For example, saying '我喜欢蹈舞' (I like to tread dance) instead of '我喜欢跳舞' (I like to dance) is incorrect. The correct verb for dancing is 跳 (tiào).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 蹈

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 蹈 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 蹈

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

foot

Semantic (meaning)足
+
Phonetic (sound)舀
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 蹈?

Decomposition of 蹈

IDS Structure⿰足舀
蹈Full Character
=
足ju4
left
舀yao3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 蹈?

Write 蹈

蹈

Practice writing 蹈 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 蹈

蹈 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 7 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

伦敦市芭蕾舞团从波修瓦芭蕾舞团聘来了两名男舞____演员。

The London City Ballet has engaged two male dancers from the Bolshoi.

Example Sentences for 蹈 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
伦敦市芭蕾舞团从波修瓦芭蕾舞团聘来了两名男舞蹈演员。

lún dūn shì bā lěi wǔ tuán cóng bō xiū wǎ bā lěi wǔ tuán pìn lái le liǎng míng nán wǔ dǎo yǎn yuán。

The London City Ballet has engaged two male dancers from the Bolshoi.
2
这支舞蹈的配乐是由亨利·托尔格所作的一首原创曲目。

zhè zhī wǔ dǎo de pèi lè shì yóu hēng lì· · tuō ěr gé suǒ zuò de yī shǒu yuán chuàng qū。

The dance is accompanied by an original score by Henry Torgue.
3
这真是一段精彩绝伦的舞蹈表演，每次总是博得全场喝彩。

zhè zhēn shì yī duàn jīng cǎi jué lún de wǔ dǎo biǎo yǎn， ， měi cì zǒng shì bó dé quán cháng hē。

It's really an amazing dance. It just always brings the house down.
4
我明确感觉到我将不得不与我的舞蹈生涯说再见了。

wǒ míng què gǎn jué dào wǒ jiāng bù dé bù yǔ wǒ de wǔ dǎo shēng yá shuō zài jiàn le。

I felt sure I'd have to kiss my dancing career goodbye.
5
很多父母觉得要孩子循规蹈矩是件很难的事情。

hěn duō fù mǔ jué dé yào hái zǐ xún guī dǎo jǔ shì jiàn hěn nán de shì qíng。

Many parents find it hard to discourage bad behaviour.
6
所有学校都设有音乐和舞蹈课。

suǒ yǒu xué xiào dū shè yǒu yīn lè hé wǔ dǎo kè。

All the schools have music and dancing as part of the curriculum.
7
汤米·图恩在编排的舞蹈中注入其一贯的优雅和活力。

tāng mǐ· · tú ēn zài biān pái de wǔ dǎo zhōng zhù rù qí yī guàn de yōu yǎ hé huó。

Tommy Tune gives the choreography his usual class and zip.
8
舞蹈开始前会举行祈祷和鞭笞的仪式。

wǔ dǎo kāi shǐ qián huì jǔ háng qí dǎo hé biān chī de yí shì。

There is a ceremony of prayer and flagellation before the dancing begins.
9
两个主要舞蹈演员长得一般高.

liǎng gè zhǔ yào wǔ dǎo yǎn yuán cháng dé yī bān gāo.

The two major dancers are level with each other.
10
塞茜尔三十出头，曾经做过演员、舞蹈演员和歌手。

sāi qiàn ěr sān shí chū tóu， ， zēng jīng zuò guò yǎn、 yuán 、 wǔ dǎo yǎn yuán hé。

Cecile was in her early thirties, a sometime actress, dancer and singer.

Cultural Notes for 蹈

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, dance is often associated with celebrations and rituals, where the act of treading or stamping has symbolic meanings, such as expressing joy or honoring ancestors.

Word Family of 蹈

Words Containing This Character9
舞蹈wǔdǎodancing
重蹈覆辙to repeat a disastrous policy重蹈覆轍
蹈dǎoto tread on
手舞足蹈hands dance and feet trip (idiom); dancing and gesticulating for joy
循规蹈矩to act according to convention循規蹈矩
舞蹈家dancer
重蹈to repeat
赴汤蹈火to go through water and tread on fire (idiom); not afraid of any difficulty赴湯蹈火
发扬蹈厉to be full of vigor (idiom)發揚蹈厲
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 舞蹈 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 蹈

It is pronounced dǎo, with a falling tone.