How to Write 踥 (qiè) — Meaning “to walk with small steps”

Imagine a concubine (妾) walking very carefully with tiny steps (足) so she doesn't make noise or trip. The shape of 妾 can be seen as a small woman, and 足 reminds you it's about foot movement. So 踥 means "to walk with small steps" like a cautious servant.

The left side 足 has 7 strokes: first write the vertical mouth shape then the strokes for "stop" (止). The right side 妾 has 8 strokes: start with 立 (stand) then 女 (woman). A common mistake is making the left side too wide or the right side too large; keep both parts balanced and compact.

踥 specifically means walking with small, dainty steps, while 䠀 (same radical 足, but not used in modern Chinese) is a rare character. 跟 means "heel" or "to follow" and is much more common. Visually, 踥 has 妾 on the right, while 跟 has 艮 (gèn) on the right.

踥 is very rare in modern Chinese and not in the HSK vocabulary; it appears mainly in classical literature or poetry to describe graceful pacing. You might encounter it in historical novels or texts describing court ladies walking delicately. In everyday conversation, use simpler verbs like 走 (walk) instead.

Common words containing 踥 include: 踥蹀 (qiè dié) — to pace; to walk with small steps; 踥踥 (qiè qiè) — walking with small steps; 踥行 (qiè xíng) — to walk with small steps.