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脚步 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
脚步jiǎobùfootstepHSK 5, unknown, 18 strokes, rank #6417, Hard
脚步jiǎobùstepHSK 5, unknown, 18 strokes, rank #6417, Hard
jiǎobù(jiao3bu4)jiao bu T3
  1. 1footstep
  2. 2step
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March 24, 2026

脚步(腳步)jiǎobù(jiao3bu4)

脚步 (jiǎobù) refers to a step or footstep, often used to describe the sound or rhythm of walking. It can also denote the pace or manner of movement, suggesting an emotional or situational context, such as hurried footsteps indicating urgency or light footsteps suggesting stealth.

Strokes18Frequency#6417DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the sound of footsteps can symbolize various emotions or states, such as approaching danger or someone’s arrival, often used in storytelling and poetry.

Memory Tip

Imagine a giant pair of feet (脚) making loud thumping sounds (步) as they walk across a floor. Visualize the impact of each step creating a rhythm, which helps you remember that 脚步 means 'footstep' and sounds like 'jiao bu' where 'jiǎo' relates to feet and 'bù' to steps.

Meanings of 脚步

jiǎobù(jiao3bu4)
1footstep
2step
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About 脚步

脚步Simplified
腳步Traditional
18Strokes
—Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L5IntermediateHSKKL3CEFRB2

Podcast: 脚步

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Podcast: 脚步

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AI Study Notes for 脚步

Quick Contrast

脚步 (jiǎobù) vs 步伐 (bùfá) — use 脚步 for specific footstep sounds or rhythms, while 步伐 emphasizes the manner or style of walking.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 脚步 with similar words like 步伐 (bùfá), which refers to the pace or stride more generally. 脚步 is more informal and is often used in everyday conversation, while 步伐 can be more formal or literary.

HSK Study Tips

While 脚步 is not an HSK vocabulary word, it connects well with other HSK words related to movement and travel. Students should focus on the pronunciation and practice using it in sentences about walking or movement.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly write 脚步 as '脚步声' (sound of footsteps) when they mean 'footsteps' in general. The correct usage is simply 脚步 without additional descriptors unless contextually necessary.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 脚步

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Component Characters

脚jiǎofoot
HSK 311 strokes⺼
View full entry
步bùa step
HSK 47 strokes止
View full entry

How to say footstep in Chinese

“footstep” in Chinese is脚步jiǎobù

脚步 (jiǎobù) refers to a step or footstep, often used to describe the sound or rhythm of walking. It can also denote the pace or manner of movement, suggesting an emotional or situational context, such as hurried footsteps indicating urgency or light footsteps suggesting stealth.

When to use 脚步

Be careful not to confuse 脚步 with similar words like 步伐 (bùfá), which refers to the pace or stride more generally. 脚步 is more informal and is often used in everyday conversation, while 步伐 can be more formal or literary.

脚步 or something close to it

脚步 (jiǎobù) vs 步伐 (bùfá) — use 脚步 for specific footstep sounds or rhythms, while 步伐 emphasizes the manner or style of walking.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly write 脚步 as '脚步声' (sound of footsteps) when they mean 'footsteps' in general. The correct usage is simply 脚步 without additional descriptors unless contextually necessary.

Write 脚步

脚
步

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Frequently Asked Questions about 脚步

It is pronounced as 'jiǎobù' with the third tone on '脚' and the fourth tone on '步'.

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