How to Write 趾 (zhǐ) — Meaning “toe”

Think of a toe pointing to the ground: the left side 足 looks like a foot, and the right side 止 looks like a footprint that stops. Imagine your big toe stopping at a line — this connects 趾 (toe) with the idea of a foot part that helps you stop or balance.

Write the left radical 足 first: the top part is 口, then 止 (like a small vertical stroke, horizontal, vertical, horizontal). The right side 止 has three horizontal strokes; keep them evenly spaced. A common mistake is making the left 足 too wide or forgetting the bottom horizontal stroke in the radical.

趾 (toe) uses the foot radical 足 plus 止 (stop), while 趴 (pā, to lie prone) uses 足 plus 八 (eight), meaning to spread feet flat on the ground. 趵 (bào, to kick or jump) uses 足 plus 勺, suggesting a quick foot motion. Unlike these, 趾 specifically means the toe, not an action.

趾 is used in words for body parts like 脚趾 (toe) and 趾甲 (toenail). It also appears in medical terms such as 趾骨 (toe bone). Culturally, it is less common in everyday speech than in written or formal contexts, but it is important for describing foot anatomy.

Common words containing 趾 include: 脚趾 (jiǎo zhǐ) — toe; 趾甲 (zhǐ jiǎ) — toenail; 趾骨 (zhǐ gǔ) — phalanx (toe bone).