How to Write 徒 (tú) — Meaning “Follower / apprentice / on foot”

Imagine a "follower" (徒) walking on foot: the left side 彳 looks like two small steps, and the right side 走 shows a person (土 as body) with feet (止) moving forward. So you can remember it as "a person takes small steps on earth to follow another."

Write the left radical 彳 first with three strokes (short, short, long slant). Then write the right part 走: start with the top 土 (four strokes) then add 止 (three strokes) — but note the bottom 止 has a short horizontal and a long sweeping stroke (捺) that extends to the right. A common mistake is making the right part too narrow or forgetting the final 捺 stroke.

The right side differs: 彼 uses 皮 (skin/hide) and means 'that' or 'the other' as in 彼此 (each other). 往 uses 主 (lord/master) and means 'to go' or 'toward' as in 前往 (to proceed to). In contrast, 徒 uses 走 (walk) and specifically relates to walking on foot or being a follower.

You often see 徒 in words like 徒弟 (disciple or apprentice) in traditional crafts or martial arts, and 徒步 (to hike or go on foot) for traveling without vehicles. 徒劳 means 'futile effort' — work that is in vain. Culturally, being a 徒弟 involves a close master-student relationship, often with formal ceremonies.

Common words containing 徒 include: 徒弟 (tú dì) — Apprentice / disciple; 徒步 (tú bù) — To hike / go on foot; 徒劳 (tú láo) — Futile / in vain.