趾 (zhǐ): toe

趾 (zhǐ) is a Chinese character meaning “toe.” Classified as HSK Level 7-9 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), with radical 足 (foot). It ranks #2305 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).

Native pronunciation

HSK 7-9 Radical: 足 foot11 strokesFrequency #2305

Definitions

Stroke Order

Practice writing 趾 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.

Words & Compounds

Common Compounds

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
脚趾	jiǎo zhǐ	toe
脚趾头	jiǎo zhǐ tou	toe
趾甲	zhǐ jiǎ	toenail
趾高气扬	zhǐ gāo qì yáng	high and mighty (idiom)
大短趾百灵	dà duǎn zhǐ bǎi líng	(bird species of China) greater short-toed lark (Calandrella brachydactyla)
亚洲短趾百灵	yà zhōu duǎn zhǐ bǎi líng	(bird species of China) Asian short-toed lark (Alaudala cheleensis)
细嘴短趾百灵	xì zuǐ duǎn zhǐ bǎi líng	(bird species of China) Hume's short-toed lark (Calandrella acutirostris)
大五趾跳鼠	dà wǔ zhǐ tiào shǔ	great jerboa (Allactaga major)
金背三趾啄木鸟	jīn bèi sān zhǐ zhuó mù niǎo	(bird species of China) common flameback (Dinopium javanense)
黄脚三趾鹑	huáng jiǎo sān zhǐ chún	(bird species of China) yellow-legged buttonquail (Turnix tanki)
林三趾鹑	lín sān zhǐ chún	(bird species of China) common buttonquail (Turnix sylvaticus)
三趾啄木鸟	sān zhǐ zhuó mù niǎo	(bird species of China) Eurasian three-toed woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus)
交趾	jiāo zhǐ	former southernmost province of the Chinese Empire, now northern Vietnam
三趾鸥	sān zhǐ ōu	(bird species of China) black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla)
三趾翠鸟	sān zhǐ cuì niǎo	(bird species of China) black-backed dwarf kingfisher (Ceyx erithaca)

Total compounds

As first character

As last character

As middle character

趾 appears in 25 compound words: 16 as the first character, 16 as the last, and 68 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.

Idioms & Chengyu (1)

趾高气扬zhǐgāoqìyángHSK 4+

to be on one's high horse; to be very self-righteous; to be arrogant

phrase

Example Sentences

AI-Generated

学习趾字需要反复练习，才能写得工整。

xué xí zhǐ zì xū yāo fǎn fù liàn xí , cái néng xiě dé gōng zhěng .

Writing the character "趾" requires repeated practice to ensure it is written neatly.

UdnnewsindexApr 2026

奉天宫头香得主捧交趾陶还愿隐喻5月婚事马到成功

fèng tiān gōng tóu xiāng dé zhǔ pěng jiāo zhǐ táo hái yuàn yǐn yù 5 yuè hūn shì mǎ dào chéng gōng

EttodayApr 2026

...熟!开车还回头看门牌冲上人行道辗行人脚趾

. . . shú ! kāi chē hái huí tóu kàn mén pái chōng shàng rén háng dào niǎn háng rén jiǎo zhǐ

Character Family

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 趾 (zhǐ) mean in Chinese?

趾 (zhǐ) primarily means "toe." It is classified as HSK Level 7-9, making it an expert-level character. It ranks #2305 in character frequency.

How many strokes does 趾 have?

趾 is written with 11 strokes. The correct stroke order matters for recognition and handwriting speed — practice with the animated guide above to build proper technique.

What is the radical of 趾?

The radical associated with 趾 is 足 (foot). This radical appears in many characters related to foot.

What are common words containing 趾?

Common words with 趾 include: 脚趾 (jiǎo zhǐ, "toe"); 脚趾头 (jiǎo zhǐ tou, "toe"); 趾甲 (zhǐ jiǎ, "toenail"); 趾高气扬 (zhǐ gāo qì yáng, "high and mighty (idiom)"); 大短趾百灵 (dà duǎn zhǐ bǎi líng, "(bird species of China) greater short-toed lark (Calandrella brachydactyla)"). There are over 25 compound words containing this character.

Is 趾 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?

Yes, 趾 is written the same way in both simplified and traditional Chinese.

Practice writing 趾 with real-time feedback

Trace stroke sequences, hear native pronunciation, and build lasting retention with spaced repetition in the HanziFeed app.

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