脚步
jiǎobù · HSK 5
foot
👣 脚步 = 脚 (foot) + 步 (step) — literally foot-step
脚 means foot; 步 means step or pace. Together they form the compound for footfall or tread. The same 步 appears in 步行 (walk) and 进步 (progress, lit. advance-step).
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.
步 — two feet: 止 (foot) on top + 止 inverted below
Originally a pictograph showing two footprints, one above the other, representing the act of walking step by step. The top 止 is a left foot and the bottom is a right foot, capturing alternating strides. The meaning extended from 'step' to 'pace,' 'stage,' or 'walk.'