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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing 'sufficient' or 'foot' with 足 (zú)

    Degree & Intensity
    Description & Modification

    Explanation

    The adjective 足 (zú) means "sufficient," "enough," or "ample," and it also means "foot" as a noun. In literary and idiomatic usage, it often conveys the sense of being adequate or complete, as in the idiom 画蛇添足 (adding feet to a snake — doing something superfluous and ruining the result). It appears frequently in formal or written Chinese.

    Examples

    • 这些证据还不足以说明问题。

      Zhèxiē zhèngjù hái bù zúyǐ shuōmíng wèntí.

      This evidence is not yet sufficient to explain the problem.

    • 画蛇添足反而把事情搞砸了。

      Huà shé tiān zú fǎn'ér bǎ shìqing gǎo zá le.

      Gilding the lily actually ruined the whole thing.

    • 我们的准备已经足够充足了。

      Wǒmen de zhǔnbèi yǐjīng zúgòu chōngzú le.

      Our preparations are already more than sufficient.

    Expressing 'sufficient' or 'foot' with 足 (zú) | Chinese Grammar