HanziGuru.跃 · yuè
跃
yuè[yue4]Tone 4

to jump, to leap

HSK 6
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躍
Guru Deep Dive

English · to jump, to leap

Cached lesson
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Topology:Left-right
Strokes:11
Writing Balance Rule: The left side (足 foot) is slightly narrower and compressed, while the right side (芄/夭-related phonetic) provides expansive width and structural balance, ensuring the whole character remains stable on the baseline.
Simplification Logic: The traditional form 躍 contains the complex 翟 component on the right, which was simplified to 夭 in the modern character 跃.
1. Meaning

to jump or leap

to boundto skipto rise quickly
VerbNeutral#movement#action#physics
Sample Usage
  • 他高兴得跳跃起来。
    tā gāoxìng de tiàoyuè qǐlái.
    He jumped up with joy.
  • 经济实现了跃升。
    jīngjì shíxiàn le yuèshēng.
    The economy achieved a great leap forward.
2. Sound
/[yœy̯⁵¹]/Tone: 51
跃
yuèyue4
++
`(51)
=yuè
Initial Consonant
y
Type: Palatal Glide (Zero Initial)
Sounds like: y semi-vowel glide / front rounded vowel starting point
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Acts as a bridge into 'i' or 'ü' vowel sounds.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Lips are tightly rounded and pushed forward, tongue tip resting behind lower front teeth, transitioning into a mid-open position.
Final Rhyme
ue
Vowel Group: -e vowel group
Sounds like: -üè rhymes with a rounded 'ü' followed by 'eh'
Note: Written as 'ue', pronounced as rounded 'üe' [y].
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'üeh'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Abbreviated Rhyme Rule: Written as -ue after y, representing the -üev sound.
Tone
T4 (51)
4th Tone (High-Falling)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and drops abruptly, exactly like shouting 'No!' or giving a firm command in English.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing it with Tone 2 (yué vs yuè) or mishearing the rounded front vowel 'ü' as a plain English 'oo'.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: A sharp, forceful karate chop downwards from the forehead to the chest, matching the abrupt descending pitch of Tone 4.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 11 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left side (足 foot) is slightly narrower and compressed, while the right side (芄/夭-related phonetic) provides expansive width and structural balance, ensuring the whole character remains stable on the baseline.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 躍 contains the complex 翟 component on the right, which was simplified to 夭 in the modern character 跃.

4. Components

Radical 足 · Foot Radical (Foot, leg, walking or movement)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 足 (Indicates that the action is performed using the feet (jumping, leaping).)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 夭 (original sound: yuè)

A person uses their FOOT (足) to push off and twist or sprout upward like a young plant (夭), resulting in a powerful LEAP (跃).

  • 足 Left component indicating foot action
  • 夭 Right component providing the phonetic sound clue
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally combined the foot symbol (足) for running or stepping with an early phonetic element to denote springing into the air.

Semantic Evolution: From the physical act of jumping off the ground, it extended metaphorically to rapid progress, promotion, and surges in development.

  • The traditional character 躍 preserves an older phonetic structure featuring 翟, representing long-tailed birds or swift motion.
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
dược
The entering tone in Sino-Vietnamese corresponds to short checked syllables, whereas Mandarin yuè uses Tone 4.
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: ヤク (yaku) / Kun: おど.る (odo.ru)
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
약
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

With a strong FOOT (足), you bend and twist upward (夭) to LEAP (yuè) over the fence in a single bound!

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
跃
yuèto leapBase character with foot radical
妖
yāodemonic, enchantingReplaces foot radical with woman radical (女)
夭
tiāoyoung, tenderStandalone phonetic root
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
妖(yāo)
Yue has the FOOT radical (足) for jumping; Yao has the WOMAN radical (女) for bewitching.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
听到这个好消息，他高兴得跳了起来。
Clue: tiào yuè
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the simplified right-side component 夭 with similar-looking components or writing the left foot radical incorrectly.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: What does 跃 mean and how is it pronounced with tone?
Production: How do you write the character for 'to leap' (yuè) using the foot radical?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

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