HanziGuru.踏 · tā
踏
tā[ta1]Tone 1

step on

HSK 6
Multiple Readings (多音字):
Guru Deep Dive

English · step on

Cached lesson
1 / 1
Topology:Left-right
Strokes:15
Writing Balance Rule: The left foot radical (足) is compressed slightly narrower to make room for the right phonetic component (沓), keeping both halves balanced within an imaginary square grid.
1. Meaning

to step on, to tread, to stamp

to walk onto press with the foot
VerbNeutral#motion#body action#physical contact
Sample Usage
  • 请不要踏草坪。
    Qǐng bùyào tà cǎopíng.
    Please do not step on the lawn.
  • 他一脚踏空了。
    Tā yì jiǎo tà kōng le.
    He missed his footing.
2. Sound
/[tʰä˥˥]/Tone: 55
踏
tāta1
++
¯(55)
=tā
Initial Consonant
t
Type: Aspirated Alveolar
Sounds like: t sound
Aspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Explosive puff of breath! Tissue held before mouth MUST flutter.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip touches the upper teeth ridge.
Final Rhyme
a
Vowel Group: -a vowel group
Sounds like: ah sound as in father
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'ah'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T1 (55)
1st Tone (High-Flat)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 1 is high and level, like a sustained singing note or flat medical flatline.
👂
Listening trap: Do not confuse with the fourth tone 'tà', which drops sharply in pitch like an abrupt command.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: A flat, high-pitched horizontal line drawn in the air at eye level, matching the steady cadence of a musical note held firm.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 15 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left foot radical (足) is compressed slightly narrower to make room for the right phonetic component (沓), keeping both halves balanced within an imaginary square grid.

4. Components

Radical 足 · Foot Radical (Foot, leg, or lower limb action)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 足 (Indicates that the action is performed using the foot.)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 沓 (original sound: tà)

The foot radical (足) on the left meets the phonetic component 'to pile up/crowd' (沓) on the right, signifying placing one's foot down or treading repeatedly.

  • 足 foot (semantic clue)
  • 沓 tà (sound clue)
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from the foot radical (足) representing movement and stepping, and 沓 (tà) providing the pronunciation.

Semantic Evolution: Originally denoting the physical action of stepping or stamping with the foot, expanding into abstract compound words like stability (踏实).

  • The character bridges ancient physical descriptions of movement to modern compound expressions.
6. Sinosphere
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

Imagine your **foot (足)** stepping repeatedly upon a **pile (沓)** of autumn leaves, making a crisp crunching sound as you tread.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
沓
tàrepeated, numerousLacks the foot radical; focuses on piling up.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
沓(tà)
沓 lacks the foot radical (足) on the left side, meaning it has fewer strokes and refers to stacking rather than stepping.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
请不要[___]坏了草坪上的花朵。
Clue: tā
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the stroke-heavy foot radical (足) variants with regular writing boxes, or misapplying tone 4 when reading standalone verbs.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: What is the meaning and pronunciation of 踏?
Production: How do you write the character for 'to step on' (tā) with 15 strokes?
Real-World Video Context

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

Search theme
Accent preference

Results are live YouTube search — accents and levels aren't verified.

踏tāstep on
Speed:
Searching YouTube for native pronunciation videos...
0 / 0
Watch on YouTubeMore Results on YouTube