How to Write 跚 (shān) — Meaning “to limp; to stagger”

Imagine a person with a sore foot (足) trying to climb a steep mountain (山). Their steps are slow and uneven—they "stagger" and "limp" up the slope. The picture of foot + mountain helps you recall the sound "shān" and the meaning of moving with difficulty.

When writing 跚, note that the radical 足 on the left is narrow and tall, with the last stroke (a lift) stretching slightly to the right. The right part 山 should sit at the same height, not too high or low, and its middle vertical stroke is the longest. A common mistake is making the 山 too wide, which unbalances the character.

跚 always has the foot radical 足 and means to limp or stagger, used in words like 蹒跚. 趵 (bào) also uses 足 but has 勺 inside; it means to kick or stamp. 趸 (dǔn) uses the same left radical but has 屯 on the right; it means to buy in bulk or to store. Visually, the right parts are completely different: 山, 勺, and 屯.

跚 is rarely used alone; it almost always appears in the two-syllable word 蹒跚 (pán shān), meaning to walk slowly and unsteadily. For example, you might say "老人步履蹒跚" (an old person walks with a hobble). The character is not in HSK, but you may encounter it in literature or descriptions of elderly or injured people moving.

Common words containing 跚 include: 蹒跚 (pán shān) — To stagger; to walk haltingly; 蹒跚而行 (pán shān ér xíng) — To hobble along; to walk with a limp; 步履蹒跚 (bù lǚ pán shān) — To walk with a limp / To hobble.