踢
tī
In Chinese, the verb 'kick' is expressed as 踢 (tī). Wiktionary also lists 蹴 (cù) and 趵 (bō).
Meaning: strike with or raise the foot or leg (verb)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 踢 | tī | |
| 蹴 | cù | |
| 趵 | bō | literary |
| 踆 | cūn | literary |
| 踶 | dì | literary |
| 蹄 | dì | literary |
The verb means to strike with or raise the foot or leg. The combination 踢出 is used figuratively to mean being expelled or kicked out of a group, organization or establishment.
Which one should you use?
The term 蹴 is a more formal or literary term for 'kick' and is often used in compound words related to stepping or trampling.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is tī.
Did you know?
- The word 踢 can be used in the expression 踢馆, which literally means to 'kick the establishment' but actually refers to a martial artist visiting another school to prove their superiority.
- The word 踢 descends from the Proto-Sino-Tibetan root *r-t(j/w)ak, suggesting that the concept of kicking has been expressed similarly across these diverse language families for millennia.
- In certain martial arts contexts, the term for a kick might change depending on whether it is a high kick or a low kick, rather than just using the general verb 踢.
Examples in context
- 長頸鹿一腳可以踢死獅子。A giraffe's kick could kill a lion.This sentence illustrates a literal kick used by an animal.Tatoeba #13109249 by LeviHighway, translation #8546619 by Amastan
- 你那么干会被人踢出酒吧的。If you did that, they'd kick you out of the bar.This sentence shows the figurative use of being kicked out of an establishment.Tatoeba #13894766 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #4663077 by CK
- 如果你唱歌了，他们就会把你踢出酒吧。If you sang, they'd kick you out of the bar.This sentence also demonstrates the figurative use of being kicked out of an establishment.Tatoeba #8746396 by cxpadonis, translation #7127281 by CM
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A boy and a girl are playing in a park.
- 伟 Wei佳怡，你看他在踢球！Jiāyí, nǐ kàn tā zài tī qiú!Jiayi, look at him kicking the ball!
- 佳怡 Jiayi伟，你也去踢吧。Wěi, nǐ yě qù tī ba.Wei, you go kick it too.
- 伟 Wei我不会踢。Wǒ bú huì tī.I don't know how to kick.
- 佳怡 Jiayi没关系，我可以教你。Méiguānxì, wǒ kěyǐ jiāo nǐ.It's okay, I can teach you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “kick” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 踢, 蹴, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
