How to Write 蹬 (dēng) — Meaning “to step on; to tread; to kick”

Imagine your foot (足) climbing a staircase (登) by stepping hard on each step — that action of pushing down your foot is exactly 蹬. Or think of 'deng' like the sound of kicking a pedal on a bicycle.

The left side 足 (7 strokes) should be narrow and vertical, while the right side 登 (12 strokes) is wider. A common mistake is confusing the top of 登 (癶) with 兴 — remember 癶 has two dots followed by a horizontal stroke, not three dots.

蹇 (jiǎn) means 'to limp' or 'difficulty,' with a different right side (寒), while 蹈 (dǎo) means 'to step' or 'dance' and uses the right side 舀. 蹬 specifically involves forceful foot actions like pedaling or kicking, not just stepping.

蹬 is very common in everyday talk: 蹬自行车 means 'to pedal a bike,' and 蹬掉 means 'to kick off' shoes or blankets. Colloquially, 蹬腿 can euphemistically mean 'to pass away,' but this is informal and should be used carefully in polite conversation.

Common words containing 蹬 include: 蹬自行车 (dēng zì xíng chē) — to pedal a bicycle; 蹬腿 (dēng tuǐ) — to kick one's legs; to pass away (colloquial); 蹬掉 (dēng diào) — to kick off (shoes, blankets, etc.).