脚 (jiǎo) is a Chinese character meaning “foot”. It is written from 月 (moon; month) and 却 (but; yet; to step back), side by side, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “foot”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
月 + 却
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字：脚，胫也。从肉却声。现代字形按 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（月4 + 却7 = 11 笔）
Memory aid
The body part (月, flesh) that lets you step back (却, retreat) — your foot.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 脚步jiǎo bùfootstep; step; pace脚 = jiǎo
- 脚趾jiǎo zhǐtoe脚 = jiǎospoken asjiáo zhǐ
Go deeper
All readings
foot
foot; base or bottom of something (e.g. the foot of a mountain)
人和动物腿下端接触地面的部分；也指物体的最下部。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 脚步jiǎo bùfootstep; step; pace脚 = jiǎo
- 脚趾jiǎo zhǐtoe脚 = jiǎospoken asjiáo zhǐ
Sound component
却 family diverged
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 脚 mean?
脚 (jiǎo) means foot; base or bottom of something (e.g. the foot of a mountain).
How do you pronounce 脚?
It is pronounced jiǎo.
What parts is 脚 made of?
月 (moon; month) and 却 (but; yet; to step back), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字：脚，胫也。从肉却声。现代字形按 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（月4 + 却7 = 11 笔）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 脚 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 脚?
肉. 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 脚?
Common ones are 脚步 and 脚趾. The reading of 脚 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.