Chinese Conversation · Level 12
90 words
Chinese word
踩
Pronunciation
Pinyincǎi
Meaning
- verbstep on
Example
不要踩草。bú yào cǎi cǎo
Don't step on the grass.
More examples
他不小心踩到同学的脚，大家笑了。tā bù xiǎo xīn cǎi dào tóng xué de jiǎo dà jiā xiào le
He accidentally stepped on his classmate's foot, and everyone laughed.
Core concept
Foot contact bears down on a surface or control, lightly or forcefully, and can set a beat when repeated.
Common phrases
踩刹车cǎi shā chē
step on the brake
踩踏板cǎi tà bǎn
step on the pedal
Similar words
踏tà: To step heavily on something, often with enough force to trample it.
蹬dēng: To push upward with the foot or press a pedal with it.
压yā: To press something down with force, whether or not a foot is used.
Definition in Chinese
用脚踏上某物或用脚作用于踏板、地面等，亦可引申为踩点、踩节拍等动作。yòng jiǎo tà shàng mǒu wù huò yòng jiǎo zuò yòng yú tà bǎn dì miàn děng yì kě yǐn shēn wèi cái diǎn cǎi jié pāi děng dòng zuò
Word origin
踩 (cǎi, "step on") is formed with 足 (zú, "foot") as the meaning component and 采 (cǎi, "pick") as the sound component, linking the word to an action made with the foot.
Usage tips
- English often uses "press" for a pedal, while Chinese uses 踩 (cǎi, "step on") to foreground the foot movement.