Definition
踪 is a bound morpheme (b.f.) meaning 'footprint, track, trace'. It never stands alone as a word in modern Chinese; it appears only in compound words like 跟踪 (to follow/track), 失踪 (be missing, disappear), and 踪迹 (trace, trail). Learners should memorize it as a component of these common compounds rather than as an independent noun.
b.f.
footprinttracktrace (bound morpheme, used only in compounds)
Examples
- 。Jǐngfāng yìzhí zài gēn zōng zhège xiányírén.The police have been tracking this suspect all along.
- ，。Nàge háizi zuótiān zǒushī le, zhìjīn réngrán zōngjì bùmíng.That child went missing yesterday and is still untraced.
- 。Wǒmen zài xuě dì shàng fāxiàn le dòngwù de zōngyǐng.We found traces of animals in the snow.
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