How to Write 跶 (da/dá) — Meaning “To stumble; to slip.”

Picture a person with a foot (足) running fast but suddenly reaching (达) a patch of ice and stumbling. The right part 达 resembles a person throwing their arms out to regain balance. This image of losing control while moving helps link the character to slipping or hopping.

Write the left radical 足 narrow, and make its last stroke curl upward to leave room for the right side. The right part 达 begins with a short horizontal stroke, then a dot, followed by the 辶 component drawn with a smooth, flowing curve. A common mistake is making the right half too wide or omitting the dot inside 达.

跶 differs from 趺 (fū) in its right component: 跶 uses 达 while 趺 uses 夫, and their meanings are unrelated — 跶 involves foot movements like stumbling, while 趺 means to sit cross-legged. Compared to 䠀 (tǎng), which means to tread or step heavily, 跶 specifically implies light, unstable, or casual foot actions such as hopping or strolling. Visually, 跶 has a more complex right side due to the 辶 component.

跶 appears almost exclusively in colloquial, everyday expressions like 蹦跶 (to hop or jump around playfully) and 溜跶 (to take a leisurely stroll). It is rarely used in formal writing or classical texts. The character adds a lively, informal tone when describing active but unsteady foot movements, especially in spoken language or casual descriptions.

Common words containing 跶 include: 蹦跶 (bèng da) — to hop; to jump; to be active; 溜跶 (liū dá) — To stroll; to take a walk.; 跶了一跤 (dá le yī jiāo) — Had a fall; slipped and fell..