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to jump

tiào
13 strokes · ⻊ (foot radical) + 兆 (omen, sound tiào) — feet springing away · HSK 2

Where 跳 comes from

The foot radical ⻊ does the work while 兆 lends the sound. 兆 was the pattern of cracks on oracle bones — read as omens — and something startled by an omen does exactly what 跳 describes: it leaps.

跳 in Chinese culture

心跳 'heartbeat' is the jump inside your chest; 跳槽 'jump the trough' is how Chinese describes switching jobs — an ox leaving its feeding spot for a better one. Job-hopping season after Spring Festival is literally called 跳槽季.

Example

跳舞 tiàowǔ — to dance

她很喜欢跳舞。
Tā hěn xǐhuan tiàowǔ.
She loves dancing.

How to remember it

A foot ⻊ startled by an omen 兆 — it JUMPS.

广场舞 square dancing draws millions of dancing aunties every evening — 跳广场舞 is arguably China's biggest participatory sport.

Same sound, different tones

1st tiāo
to pick
2nd tiáo
strip; measure word
4th tiào
to jump

Words unlocked by 跳

跳舞 tiàowǔ
to dance
心跳 xīntiào
heartbeat
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