How to Write 踊 (yǒng) — Meaning “to leap; to jump”

Picture a person using their feet (足) to jump over a tall wall that looks like the shape 甬. Imagine the 甬 as a gate or tunnel they leap through. This connects the foot radical to the action of jumping.

The 足 radical on the left has seven strokes, with the final stroke turning into a short upward flick. The right part 甬 has a balanced structure: first a vertical stroke, then a horizontal box with a short vertical inside. A common mistake is making the right part too wide or forgetting the middle vertical in 甬.

踊 (yǒng) means 'to leap' or 'to jump,' while 䠀 (tāng) is a rare character meaning 'to step on' or 'to tread.' 跆 (tái) appears in 跆拳道 (taekwondo) and means 'to trample' or 'kick.' Visually, 踊 uses 甬, 䠀 uses 堂, and 跆 uses 台 on the right side.

踊 appears mostly in the common word 踊跃 (yǒng yuè), meaning 'enthusiastic' or 'eager.' For example, 踊跃报名 means 'to sign up enthusiastically,' and 踊跃发言 means 'to speak up actively.' It is often used in announcements or encouragement to participate.

Common words containing 踊 include: 踊跃 (yǒng yuè) — enthusiastic; eager; active; 踊跃报名 (yǒng yuè bào míng) — to sign up enthusiastically; 踊跃发言 (yǒng yuè fā yán) — to speak up enthusiastically.