Definition
跌跌撞撞 is a four-character reduplicative idiom describing unsteady, stumbling movements — literally 'stumble-stumble-bump-bump'. You can use it for physical staggering (like walking drunk) or figuratively for doing something clumsily, with many mistakes (like feeling your way through a task). It often appears with 地 as an adverb or with 的 as a predicate adjective.
r.f.
to stagger alongto lurch (physically)to blunder alongto do something clumsily (figuratively)
Examples
- ，跌跌撞撞。Tā hē zuì le, zǒulù dié dié zhuàng zhuàng de.He got drunk and walked staggering.
- 跌跌撞撞。Zhège xīnshǒu dié dié zhuàng zhuàng de xuéhuì le kāichē.The newbie learned to drive with a lot of stumbling.
- 跌跌撞撞。Gōngsī gāng qǐbù shí dié dié zhuàng zhuàng de zǒu guò le nánguān.The company stumbled through the difficult periods when it had just started.
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