进步
jìnbù · HSK 3
progress
📈 进步 = 进 (enter/advance) + 步 (step) — advancing steps
进 means to enter or move forward; 步 means a step or pace. Together they describe forward steps — progress or improvement. Common in phrases like 有进步 (showing progress) and 进步很大 (big improvement).
进 — walk radical 辶 + well 井
Originally a semantic-phonetic compound: the walking radical 辶 gives the meaning of movement, while 井 (jǐng, 'well') supplied the sound. The traditional form 進 used 隹 (short-tailed bird) suggesting forward flight; the simplified 进 swapped 隹 for the simpler phonetic 井. The core meaning 'to advance, enter' has stayed stable.
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.'