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跌跌撞撞 (dié dié zhuàng zhuàng) — to stagger along, to lurch (physically); to blunder along, to do something clumsily (figuratively)

Definition

An adverbial bound form (used with 地 or 的) describing clumsy, unsteady movement or progress — physically staggering or figuratively blundering through.

bound form
to stagger alongto lurch (physically)to blunder alongto do something clumsily (figuratively)

Examples

  • ，跌跌撞撞。
    Tā hē zuì le, zǒu lù dié dié zhuàng zhuàng de.
    He got drunk and walked staggering.
  • 跌跌撞撞。
    Zhè ge xīn shǒu dié dié zhuàng zhuàng dì xué huì le kāi chē.
    The newbie learned to drive with a lot of stumbling.
  • 跌跌撞撞。
    Gōng sī gāng qǐ bù shí dié dié zhuàng zhuàng dì zǒu guò le nán guān.
    The company stumbled through the difficult periods when it had just started.

Origin

Reduplicated word
构词法gòucífǎ
重叠chóngdiéReduplication

A syllable said twice — for affection, for softness, or simply because that is how the word is said.

跌跌stumble
跌diēstumble跌diēstumble
撞撞bump
撞zhuàngbump撞zhuàngbump

The repeated 跌 and 撞 evoke stumbling and bumping again and again, giving a staggered, lurching movement.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
足足zúfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
失
失shī跌diē
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

跌 pairs 足 (foot) with 失, which gives a hint to its sound.

Open 跌 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
足足zúfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
失
失shī跌diē
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

跌 pairs 足 (foot) with 失, which gives a hint to its sound.

Open 跌 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
童
童tóng撞zhuàng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 扌 is the hand radical, written in full as 手, and the right side 童 supplies the sound.

Open 撞 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
童
童tóng撞zhuàng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 扌 is the hand radical, written in full as 手, and the right side 童 supplies the sound.

Open 撞 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set Phrases

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