Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 跳 (tiào) meaning 'to jump' or 'to leap' has an interesting evolution. It is composed of the radical ⻊ (foot radical) on the left, indicating movement related to feet or legs, and the phonetic component 兆 (zhào) on the right. In ancient oracle bone and bronze scripts, the character depicted the action of jumping or leaping with one's feet. Over time, the character standardized during the Qin dynasty small seal script period, with the Liushutong (六书通) providing important documentation of its variant forms. The character maintains its core meaning of jumping or leaping across centuries of Chinese writing. Arrived in Japan: The character 跳 likely arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE along with the broader introduction of Chinese writing system (kanji) to Japan, possibly through Buddhist texts and cultural exchange. It was formally adopted into the Japanese writing system and is read as 'chō' in on'yomi (Chinese reading) and 'tobu/hane-ru' in kun'yomi (Japanese readings).