How to Write 踶 (dì) — Meaning “to kick; to tread”

Think of a foot (足) that "is" (是) kicking something. Visualize a foot stepping down hard, and remember that 踶 sounds like "dee" as in "deep kick." This links the shape of the right part 是 to the action of kicking.

Write the left radical 足 with seven strokes, keeping it narrow and balanced. Then add the right part 是 with nine strokes, making sure the top "日" is compact and the bottom stroke (捺) extends slightly to the right. A common mistake is making the 足 radical too wide, which throws off the character's proportion.

踶 means to kick or tread, while 跽 (jì) means to kneel—both use the 足 radical but have different right components (是 vs. 忌). 䠀 is a very rare character, often a variant of 躺 (to lie down) or used in ancient texts, and it is not interchangeable with 踶 in modern usage. Visually, 踶 has the recognizable 是 on the right, whereas 跽 has 忌 and 䠀 has 尚.

踶 is not common in daily speech or HSK vocabulary; it appears mainly in classical or literary contexts, especially describing animal behavior like a horse kicking or stamping. You might see it in words like 踶跳 (to prance) or 踶啮 (to kick and bite) when reading historical or agricultural texts.

Common words containing 踶 include: 踶跳 (dì tiào) — to jump; to prance; 踶啮 (dì niè) — to kick and bite (of animals); 踶踏 (dì tà) — to trample; to kick.