Definition
垫底 (diàn dǐ) is a verb-object compound meaning 'to put a layer at the bottom' — it emphasizes the bottom layer specifically, unlike 垫 (diàn) which is a general 'to pad, put something under'. It also has two other common meanings: 'to come last in a ranking' and 'to eat a little something beforehand to stave off hunger'.
verb
to come lastto rank at the bottomto eat a little something beforehand (to stave off hunger)to put something at the bottomto lay a foundation
Examples
- ，。Tā xiān zài xiāngzi lǐ diàn le ge dǐ, zài fàng qítā dōngxi.He first put a layer at the bottom of the box, then put other things in.
- 垫底。Zhè cì kǎoshì tā yòu diàn dǐ le.He came last in this exam again.
- 垫底，。Nǐ xiān chī ge miànbāo diàn dǐ, bié è zhe dùzi.Eat a bread first to tide you over, don't be hungry.
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