下脚 (xià jiǎ) — to get a foothold, to plant one's foot (often in negative constructions); leftover bits and pieces (in material contexts)
Definition
Often used in negatives to mean 'find room to put one's foot down' (下不了脚, 连下脚的地方都没有). As a noun prefix 下脚料, it means 'leftover scraps' from cutting or processing material.
verb
to get a footholdto plant one's foot (often in negative constructions)leftover bits and pieces (in material contexts)
Examples
- ，下脚。Fáng jiān lǐ duī mǎn le dōng xī, lián xià jiǎ de dì fāng dōu méi yǒu.The room is piled with stuff — there's no room to even stand.
- ，。Dì tiě lǐ rén tài duō le, gēn běn xià bù liǎo jiǎo.The subway is so crowded you can't even get a foothold.
- 下脚。Zhè xiē xià jiǎ liào hái néng yòng lái zuò xiǎo gōng yì pǐn.These leftover scraps can still be used to make small crafts.
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