跳 (tiào) — to jump / to dance

跳 (tiào)

A verb meaning "to jump" or "to leap." It also appears in the phrase 跳舞 (tiàowǔ), meaning "to dance," because dancing involves rhythmic jumping and stepping movements. The 足 (foot) radical reinforces the physical, foot-related action.

Meanings

1. [verb] To jump, to leap, to hop.
2. [verb] Component of 跳舞 (to dance).

Example Sentences

猫跳上了桌子。 Māo tiào shàng le zhuōzi. The cat jumped onto the table.

她喜欢跳舞。 Tā xǐhuān tiàowǔ. She likes to dance.

孩子们在跳绳。 Háizimen zài tiàoshéng. The children are jumping rope.

他高兴地跳了起来。 Tā gāoxìng de tiào le qǐlái. He jumped up happily.

Collocations

Memory Hook

跳 has the 足 (foot) radical — you need your feet to jump. The right side 兆 (zhào) sounds slightly like "tiao," helping with pronunciation. Think: feet going "tiao!" as they spring off the ground.