步 (bù) is a Chinese character meaning “a step”. It is written from 止 (stop) and 𣥂 (an upside-down 止 — a foot pointing the other way), one above the other, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “step; pace”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
止 + 𣥂
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 步，行也。从止𣥂相背 (split checked against hanzi-writer-data medians: strokes 1-4 = 止, strokes 5-7 = 𣥂)
Memory aid
止 is one foot planted on the ground; 𣥂 below it is the other foot, turned the other way. One foot, then the other — that is a step.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 迈步mài bùto take a step; to stride forward步 = bù
- 散步sàn bùto take a walk; to stroll步 = bù
- 步枪bù qiāngrifle步 = bù
- 徒步tú bùon foot; hiking步 = bù
- 脚步jiǎo bùfootstep; step; pace步 = bù
Go deeper
All readings
step
a step; a pace; to walk; a stage in a process
走路时两脚之间的一次移动；也指做事的一个阶段。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 迈步mài bùto take a step; to stride forward步 = bù
- 散步sàn bùto take a walk; to stroll步 = bù
- 步枪bù qiāngrifle步 = bù
- 徒步tú bùon foot; hiking步 = bù
- 脚步jiǎo bùfootstep; step; pace步 = bù
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 步 mean?
步 (bù) means a step; a pace; to walk; a stage in a process.
How do you pronounce 步?
It is pronounced bù.
What parts is 步 made of?
止 (stop) and 𣥂 (an upside-down 止 — a foot pointing the other way), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 步，行也。从止𣥂相背 (split checked against hanzi-writer-data medians: strokes 1-4 = 止, strokes 5-7 = 𣥂). Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 步 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 步?
止. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 步?
Common ones are 迈步 and 散步. The reading of 步 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.