脚
jiǎo · HSK 2
foot
🦵🦶 月 (flesh) + 却 (phonetic jué) — a fleshy limb you stand on
The 月 radical on the left marks body parts (originally 肉 meat/flesh). The right side 却 gives the sound. So 脚 = flesh-part pronounced jiǎo, meaning foot or leg, and by extension the base of something.
脚 — meat radical 月(肉) + 却 (phonetic)
脚 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The left side 月 is the 'flesh/body' radical (from 肉), marking it as a body part. The right side 却 supplies the sound. Originally it referred to the lower leg or shin, and later broadened to mean 'foot' or 'leg' generally.
jiǎo · HSK 3
foot
🦶 月 (flesh) + 却 (phonetic) = the fleshy part you step with
脚 combines the flesh radical 月 with 却 jué as phonetic, giving jiǎo. The flesh radical marks body parts, so 脚 names the foot — the fleshy limb that carries you.
脚 — meat radical 月(肉) + 却 (phonetic)
脚 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The left side 月 is the 'flesh/body' radical (from 肉), marking it as a body part. The right side 却 supplies the sound. Originally it referred to the lower leg or shin, and later broadened to mean 'foot' or 'leg' generally.