How to Write 跑 (pǎo) — Meaning “to run”

Imagine a foot (足) wrapped in a bag (包) that suddenly starts running away. The sight of the wrapped foot speeding off reminds you that 跑 means 'to run'. This visual trick links the two components in a funny, memorable way.

The left part 足 must be narrow and slightly taller, while the right part 包 should be balanced and not too wide. A common mistake is making the 包 too big or writing the strokes of 足 in the wrong order—remember 足 starts with a vertical stroke, then horizontal, vertical, horizontal, left-falling, vertical, and horizontal. Keep the two halves close together.

The key difference is the right side: 跑 has 包 (wrap), 趵 has 勺 (ladle), and 趸 has 屯 (store). Also, their meanings differ: 跑 means 'to run', 趵 (bào) means 'to stamp the foot', and 趸 (dǔn) means 'wholesale' or 'bulk purchase'. Although all share the foot radical, only 跑 is about running.

跑 is very common in everyday language, like in 跑步 (pǎo bù, 'to jog'), 跑车 (pǎo chē, 'sports car'), and 逃跑 (táo pǎo, 'to escape'). It can also describe running errands, as in 跑腿 (pǎo tuǐ, 'to run an errand'). In China, 跑步 is a popular exercise, and you'll often see people jogging in parks.

Common words containing 跑 include: 跑步 (pǎo bù) — to run; jogging; 跑车 (pǎo chē) — sports car; 逃跑 (táo pǎo) — to run away; to escape.