ChiramiStop is one foot, walk is two (止 歩)
止 (tomaru), to stop, began as a drawing of a foot. 歩 (aruku), to walk, is two of those feet, one above the other, the way your feet take turns when you walk. This is one kanji story where the picture and the history agree.
A foot: 止
In oracle bone script, 止 is a simple outline of a foot, and its first meaning was just that: “foot”. One oracle-bone record uses it for an illness of the foot.
Later the character came to be used for “stop”. A foot planted firmly on the ground is an easy way to picture that, but it may only be a memory aid: some scholars see “stop” as a borrowed meaning. The old meaning moved to a new kanji, made by adding 足, foot, to the side: 趾, a toe.
Two feet: 歩
The oldest forms of 歩 are two 止 footprints, one above the other: a left foot and a right foot, stepping forward in turn. Its first meaning was “to walk”.
In today’s 歩, the top foot is still a clear 止. The bottom foot has been reshaped until it looks like 少, the kanji for “few” or “a little”, but it’s still the second foot. Japan’s modern form swapped in the familiar 少, so the Japanese 歩 has 8 strokes. The older form, 步, still used in Chinese, has no extra dot and only 7.
The same foot in other kanji
Once you know 止, you’ll start spotting the foot elsewhere:
- 足 (ashi), foot or leg, is built on 止. Its bottom part is the same foot, slightly reshaped.
- 走, as in 走る (hashiru), to run, began as a person running with arms swinging, above a 止, the foot doing the work.
How to use it
ここで止まってください。
Koko de tomatte kudasai.
Please stop here.
雨が止みました。
Ame ga yamimashita.
The rain has stopped.
駅まで歩きましょう。
Eki made arukimashou.
Let's walk to the station.
毎朝、犬と散歩します。
Maiasa, inu to sanpo shimasu.
I walk the dog every morning.
- 止まる or 止める? 止まる (tomaru) is when something stops: バスが止まる (basu ga tomaru), the bus stops. 止める (tomeru) is when you stop something: 車を止める (kuruma o tomeru), to stop the car.
- 止む (yamu) is for things that stop by themselves, such as rain, wind or noise. It’s often written in kana: やむ.
- Signs. Japan’s stop sign is a red, upside-down triangle that says 止まれ (tomare), the command form of 止まる; newer ones add STOP in English. You’ll also see 立入禁止 (tachiiri kinshi), no entry, and 通行止め (tsuukoudome), road closed.
- 歩 sounds like ho, po or fu. It’s ほ (ho) in 歩道 (hodou), sidewalk, and ぽ (po) in 散歩 (sanpo), a walk, and 一歩 (ippo), a step. On a shogi board, 歩 (fu) is the pawn.
Words with the same kanji
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 中止 | chuushi | cancellation |
| 禁止 | kinshi | ban, prohibition |
| 散歩 | sanpo | a walk, a stroll |
| 歩道 | hodou | sidewalk |
| 一歩 | ippo | one step |
| 進歩 | shinpo | progress |
Remember it
One footprint, planted on the ground: 止, stop. Add a second footprint under it, and you’re off: 歩, walk.
The kanji in this lesson
Tap Draw it to watch the stroke order. Numbers show where each stroke starts.