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蹑

躡
niè
verb #58,495

Meanings

  1. 1 to walk on tiptoe
  2. 2 to tread softly
  3. 3 to follow stealthily

Examples

HSK 7-9
她蹑手蹑脚地走进房间，怕吵醒婴儿。
Tā nièshǒu-nièjiǎo de zǒujìn fángjiān, pà chǎoxǐng yīng'ér.
She tiptoed into the room, afraid of waking the baby.
HSK 7-9
侦探悄悄蹑着嫌疑人的踪迹。
Zhēntàn qiāoqiāo niè zhe xiányírén de zōngjì.
The detective quietly followed the suspect's trail.

Tips

usage
Most commonly seen in the set phrase 蹑手蹑脚 ('to tiptoe / move stealthily'), describing creeping movement that avoids making noise.
memory
足 (foot) + the whispering-quiet feel of 聂 (three ears leaning in to listen): feet moving so quietly that ears must strain to hear them - tiptoeing.

Components

radical
足 zú
foot
足 is the foot radical, marking this as a word about how one moves the feet - here, quietly and on tiptoe.
phonetic
聂 niè
to whisper; phonetic
聂 (three 'ear' shapes, originally 'to whisper close to the ear') gives the sound niè and faintly reinforces the hushed, quiet feel of moving stealthily.

Stroke Order

蹑 niè