步

Tap the pinyin to hear it

a step; a pace; walk; march; stages in a process; situation

Sound it out + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Ideographic compound (会意字)

Modern form of 歨; putting one foot 止 in front of the other

Components 止 ? unknown part

footstep · Heisig RSH #380

trail of footprints + 少 few

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
自动步道	zì dòng bù dào	moving walkway; travelator
步行区	bù xíng qū	pedestrian area
下一步	xià yī bù	the next step
学步车	xué bù chē	baby walker; baby walking frame
城步县	Chéng bù Xiàn	see 城步苗族自治縣\|城步苗族自治县[Cheng2 bu4 Miao2 zu2 Zi4 zhi4 xian4]
大步流星	dà bù liú xīng	at a stride; taking large steps (while walking)
步行者	bù xíng zhě	pedestrian
安步当车	ān bù dàng chē	to go on foot (idiom); to do things at a leisurely pace
大步	dà bù	large strides
步子	bù zi	step; pace
学步	xué bù	to learn to walk; (fig.) to learn sth, making unsteady progress; to get started on the lea…
地步	dì bù	stage; degree (to which a situation has evolved); a (usu. bad) situation; leeway
马步	mǎ bù	(martial arts) horse stance (with legs wide apart, as when riding a horse)
步行	bù xíng	to go on foot; to walk
进步主义	jìn bù zhǔ yì	progressivism
代步车	dài bù chē	vehicle; (esp.) mobility vehicle (mobility scooter, electric wheelchair, Segway etc)
步法	bù fǎ	footwork
八步区	Bā bù Qū	Babu, a district of Hezhou City 賀州市\|贺州市[He4 zhou1 Shi4], Guangxi
步话机	bù huà jī	walkie-talkie
步道	bù dào	walking path; pathway

These characters use 步 as their sound component — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
步 sound part	bù	walk, stroll, pace, march; to make progress
埗	bù	jetty, quay; port city, trade hub