step

Pictograph of one foot in front of another, depicting footsteps.

Components
止 iconic component

  Iconic component

zhǐ

  

(foot), stop

止 iconic component

  Iconic component

zhǐ

  

(foot), stop

Evolution

步 Oracle script (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle script

(~1250-1000 BC)
步 Bronze script Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)

Bronze script

Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)
步 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
步 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
步 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

 

step, pace; walk, stroll; a step; a pace; walk; march; stages in a process; situation

 

surname Bu

Most common words with 步
Freq.
Word
Meaning

a step

进一步

one step further

进步

progress

逐步

progressively

初步

initial

Component uses

Meaning component in 2 characters (1 verified)

Sound component in 1 character (0 verified)

Iconic component in 1 character (1 verified)

Historical pronunciation

Old Chinese

Middle Chinese

Pinyin

Gloss

*mə-bˤa-s

buH

step


Statistics

HSK level 3

Appears in 64.6324% of movies

590th most common character in movies

349th most common character in books

Miscellaneous

Strokes

7

Unicode

U+6B65

Shuowen

“步,行也。从止,相背。”


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