步 (bù): a step, a pace, walk
步 (bù) is a Chinese character meaning “a step.” Classified as HSK Level 2 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 止 (structural). It ranks #349 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 步 modern form of 歨; putting one foot 止 in front of the other. Its radical form 止 (stop) appears in many related characters such as 正 (zhèng, straight), 止 (zhǐ, to stop), 此 (cǐ, this).
Definitions
- a step
- a pace
- walk
Etymology & Origin
ideographicModern form of 歨; putting one foot 止 in front of the other
Stroke Order
Practice writing 步 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
HSK Vocabulary with 步
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 进步verb/adjective | jìn bù | progress | 5 |
| 进一步adverb | jìn yī bù | to go a step further | 5 |
| 散步verb | sàn bù | to take a walk | 4 |
| 跑步verb | pǎo bù | to run | 2 |
| 步行verb | bù xíng | to go on foot | 5 |
| 脚步noun | jiǎo bù | footstep | 5 |
| 初步adjective | chū bù | initial | 6 |
| 步骤noun | bù zhòu | procedure | 6 |
| 逐步adverb | zhú bù | progressively | 5 |
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 舞步noun | wǔ bù | dance steps |
| 地步noun | dì bù | stage |
| 步枪noun | bù qiāng | rifle |
| 漫步verb | màn bù | to wander |
| 同步verb | tóng bù | synchronous |
| 让步verb | ràng bù | to concede |
| 徒步verb | tú bù | to be on foot |
| 步伐noun | bù fá | pace |
| 步入verb | bù rù | to step into |
| 步兵noun | bù bīng | infantry |
| 起步verb | qǐ bù | to set out |
| 步步adverb | bù bù | step by step |
| 快步noun | kuài bù | quick step |
| 止步verb | zhǐ bù | to halt |
| 退步verb | tuì bù | to do less well than before |
步 appears in 101 compound words: 29 as the first character, 66 as the last, and 5 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 步 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (26)
to advance gradually and dig in at every step; to consolidate at every step; to act cautiously
cannot walk a step; difficult to move forward; difficult to make headway
cannot walk a step; difficult to move forward; difficult to make headway
Showing 12 of 26 idioms containing 步.
Example Sentences
步字的写法很特别，让我印象深刻。
bù zì de xiě fǎ hěn tè bié , ràng wǒ yìn xiàng shēn kè .
The way the character "步" is written is quite unique and has left a deep impression on me.
女生徒步失联被找到:用牛粪保温 背后真相令人心疼
nǚ shēng tú bù shī lián bèi zhǎo dào : yòng niú fèn bǎo wēn bèi hòu zhēn xiāng lìng rén xīn téng
The female student was found missing: the truth behind the cow dung was distressing
葡萄牙房地产发展势头不减,但步伐有所改变
pú táo yá fáng dì chǎn fā zhǎn shì tóu bù jiǎn , dàn bù fá yǒu suǒ gǎi biàn
Portuguese real estate is gaining momentum, but the pace has changed
油品、建案双引擎全开 北基下步锁定绿能
yóu pǐn , jiàn àn shuāng yǐn qíng quán kāi běi jī xià bù suǒ dìng lǜ néng
The dual engines of oil products and construction projects are fully open, and the next step of the North Base is to lock in green energy
公股投信“四合一”迈步 第一金投信可望主导 合并后排名看第七
gōng gǔ tóu xìn sì gě yī mài bù dì yī jīn tóu xìn kě wàng zhǔ dǎo gě bìng hòu pái míng kàn dì qī
Public stock investment trust "four-in-one" step First Gold Investment Trust is expected to dominate the ranking after the merger
上海开唱遭取消抹黑 滨崎步晒维尼帽反击
shàng hǎi kāi chàng zāo qǔ xiāo mā hēi bīn qí bù shài wéi ní mào fǎn jī
Shanghai's singing was canceled and smeared, and Hamasaki hit back with a vinnie hat
我被他英语的快速进步惊呆了。
Wǒ bèi tā Yīngyǔ de kuàisù jìnbù jīngdāi le.
I'm amazed at his rapid progress in English.
他没有进步的迹象。
Tā méiyǒu jìnbù de jìxiàng.
He shows no mark of progress.
我每天都去森林散步。
Wǒ měitiān dōu qù sēnlín sànbù.
I walk in the forest every day.
他一步一步地拾级而上。
Tā yī bù yī bù de shèjí'érshàng.
He went up the steps slowly.
Character Family
Frequently Asked Questions
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What characters sound the same as 步 (bù)?
Is 步 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 步 with real-time feedback
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