足球
足foot球ball=soccer or football
足
足 (zú) Chinese Character: foot; enough
A planted foot stands firmly; enough support makes something sufficient.
Practice 足 in the interactive lessonChinese character story: A Leg Ending in a Foot
足 (zú) can mean “foot,” but modern conversation often uses 脚 for the body part. You will meet 足 frequently in 足球, “soccer,” 足够, “enough,” and 充足, “sufficient.” One character connects physical footing with the abstract idea of having enough.
🧩 Word buildingSee what every part contributes
Chinese words often combine short meaning clues. Fixed expressions are clearly marked so you do not translate them too literally.
足够
足enough够sufficient=enough
The two sufficiency ideas reinforce one word.
Chinese character origin and etymology
Early forms of 足 picture a lower leg ending in a foot. From standing firmly, the character also developed the meaning “enough” or “sufficient.”
The upper box-like part sits above strokes that spread like a planted foot. 足 works as one complete form rather than a puzzle made from smaller modern components. Learning its overall silhouette is useful because the same shape may later appear inside more complex characters.
Chinese character stroke order and structure
足 is written with 7 strokes. Learn the complete stroke sequence in the interactive lesson, then write the character from memory before checking your answer.
- 足 — foot; enough — a foundational form used as one complete character
Common usage and sentence patterns
The examples below show 足 in complete beginner-friendly sentences. Read each sentence aloud, notice where the character appears, and then replace one noun or number to create a new sentence of your own.
足球很有意思。
Soccer is interesting.
我们有足够的水。
We have enough water.
这里空间充足。
There is enough space here.
Learning tips for 足
Learn the reading as one unit: zú, with the second tone: rising. Avoid memorizing the letters without the tone mark. Say the syllable, recall the English meaning “foot; enough,” and write the 7 strokes from memory.
Because 足 is a basic form, focus on its proportions and stroke direction. Compare it with 人 (rén, person); 下 (xià, below, down). Similar characters are easier to remember when their different parts and meanings are studied side by side.
Quick review checklist
- Can you recognize 足 without pinyin?
- Can you say zú with the correct tone and explain “foot; enough”?
- Can you write all 7 strokes in order?
- Can you use 足 in one short sentence?
Related characters
Continue learning Chinese characters
Use the Chinese radicals and components guide to understand reusable parts, the stroke order guide to improve handwriting, and the HSK 1 character overview to choose your next beginner lesson.
Sources and editorial note
HanziStory separates documented character history from modern memory stories. Historical-form images are shown only when a matching source file is available; missing stages are skipped rather than invented. Stroke practice uses HanziWriter data.
Last updated: August 12, 2026. Read our sources, editorial method, and correction policy.