How to Write 跫 (qióng) — Meaning “sound of footsteps”

Imagine walking in a quiet hallway and hearing a clear "qióng-qióng" echo with each step. The right side 巩 looks like a person taking a step (the top part 工 as a body, the bottom 凡 as two legs moving). This visual picture helps link the sound and meaning to the shape.

Write the left radical 足 first with 7 strokes (vertical, horizontal, vertical, horizontal, left-falling, horizontal, left-falling), then the right part 巩 with 6 strokes (horizontal, vertical, horizontal, left-falling, right-falling, horizontal hook). A common mistake is making the 足 too wide—keep it narrow so the character stays balanced. Also be careful to write the bottom of 巩 as 凡 (not 几) with a solid stroke for the last right-falling turn.

跫 means 'sound of footsteps' and has the right component 巩, while 趺 (fū) refers to the instep of the foot or a cross-legged sitting posture and has the right component 夫 (fū). Visually, 跫's right side is more complex with extra strokes, while 趺's right side is simply 夫. In usage, 跫 is poetic, 趺 is more anatomical or meditative.

跫 is a literary character not found in everyday speech or HSK, appearing mainly in classical poetry and elegant writing to describe quiet, clear footsteps—especially in empty or peaceful settings. A famous phrase is 跫音 (qióng yīn), evoking the lonely sound of footsteps in a silent valley or courtyard, carrying a sense of solitude and tranquility.

Common words containing 跫 include: 跫音 (qióng yīn) — sound of footsteps; 跫然 (qióng rán) — sound of footsteps; 步跫 (bù qióng) — Sound of footsteps.