How to Write 䠀 (tāng) — Meaning “to stride; to walk”

Imagine your foot (足) is striding toward a tall building, which you associate with the word 'still' (尚) because the building stands still. This mental picture of a foot moving forward to a fixed point helps you recall that 䠀 means 'to stride'.

Pay special attention to the right side 尚: it starts with a short vertical stroke, then a dot, then a left-falling stroke, not a single horizontal line. Common mistakes include confusing 尚 with 向 (xiàng) or writing the top part like 小 without the bottom hook. Also, ensure the left radical 足 is written with the correct foot shape and does not overlap with the right part.

The character 跟 (gēn) means 'to follow' or 'heel', and its right side is 艮 (gèn), while 跣 (xiǎn) means 'barefoot' and uses 先 (xiān) on the right. In contrast, 䠀 specifically means 'to stride' or 'to walk with long steps', and its right component is 尚. Visually, the top part of 尚 looks like a small '小' shape, which differs from the other two.

This character is very rare and not included in the HSK vocabulary list. It appears mainly in classical Chinese literature or formal writing to describe striding or taking a step, for example in the word 䠀步 (tāng bù, 'to stride'). In everyday modern Chinese, it is usually replaced by common characters like 迈 (mài) or 跨 (kuà).

Common words containing 䠀 include: 䠀步 (tāng bù) — to stride; to take a step; 䠀行 (tāng xíng) — to walk; to stride; 䠀过 (tāng guò) — to stride across.