Dictionary › 踩

踩

cǎi

Old HSK 5 HSK 3.0 character level 6 Character

踩 (cǎi) means "to step on". It is an HSK 3.0 level 6 word, and was HSK 5 in the old six-level list.

What 踩 means

1. to step on
2. to tread
3. to stamp
4. to press a pedal
5. to pedal (a bike)
6. (online) to downvote

Other readings

踩 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• cǎivariant of {踩|cǎi}

Example sentences

• 不要踩草地。
  Keep off the grass.
• 他故意踩我的脚。
  Tā gùyì cǎi wǒ de jiǎo.
  He stepped on my foot on purpose.
• 汤姆踩了我的脚。
  Tom stepped on my foot.
• 不要踩在碎玻璃上。
  Don't step on the broken glass.
• 他从未踩过那块地毯。
  He never stepped on that rug.
• 我昨晚差点踩到一只臭鼬。
  Wǒ zuówǎn chàdiǎn cǎi dào yī zhī chòuyòu.
  I almost stepped on a skunk last night.

Words starting with 踩

• 踩动cǎi dòngto operate by means of a pedal
• 踩水cǎi shuǐto tread water; to paddle or tramp in shallow water
• 踩空cǎi kōngto miss one's step
• 踩线cǎi xiànto scout for a tour operator; to reconnoiter a potential tour itinerary…
• 踩踏cǎi tàto trample on
• 踩道cǎi dàoto scout; to reconnoiter
• 踩雷cǎi léito step on a mine; (fig.) to inadvertently do sth that has an unpleasant result…
• 踩点cǎi diǎnto reconnoiter; to case the joint; to cut it fine; to arrive with no time to spare…
• 踩失脚cǎi shī jiǎoto lose one's footing
• 踩线团cǎi xiàn tuángroup on a tour to get acquainted with the local situation
• 踩刹车cǎi shā chēto step on the brake; to brake (when driving)
• 踩高跷cǎi gāo qiāoto walk on stilts
• 踩镲cǎi chǎhi-hat

Words containing 踩

• 点踩diǎn cǎito dislike; to downvote (on social media)
• 往泥里踩wǎng nì lǐ cǎito belittle; to attack sb
• 扒高踩低pá gāo cǎi dīcrawl high, step low (idiom); unprincipled crawling, flattering one's superiors and…
• 脚踩两只船jiǎo cǎi liǎng zhī chuánsee 脚踏两只船

Characters built on 采

These share the phonetic component 采 (cǎi), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 彩cǎi(bright) color; variety; applause
• 菜càivegetable; greens; dish (of food); (of one's skills etc) weak; poor
• 睬cǎito pay attention; to take notice of; to care for

Characters that look like 踩

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 踪zōng(bound form) footprint; trace; tracks
• 赚zhuànto earn; to make a profit
• 徵zhǐ4th note in the ancient Chinese pentatonic scale 五音
• 踝huáiankle
• 踉liángused in 跳踉
• 龊chuòused in 龌龊

Sounds the same

Read cǎi, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 彩(bright) color; variety; applause
• 采to pick; to pluck; to collect
• 睬to pay attention; to take notice of; to care for
• 䌽variant of 彩

Where 踩 is taught

In the GraphChinese course it is part of Motion, Physical Action & Sport (HSK 5), each one a topic in the dependency graph of HSK 1–6 that opens only once its prerequisites are solid.

Go deeper

• Every HSK 5 word, with the rest of its level.
• How characters are built from components.
• How to learn Chinese characters.
• The four tones and the neutral tone, to read cǎi correctly.
• Look up another word in the free dictionary.