hẫng chân

Tôi leo cầu thang trong bóng tối và bị hẫng chân một bước.

Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To lose one's footing; to step into empty space: This describes the physical sensation and action when one's foot unexpectedly fails to find solid ground or support while walking, stepping, or climbing.
   • To be caught off guard; to be destabilized (figurative): Used metaphorically to describe a sudden feeling of being unsteady, surprised, or emotionally/mentally thrown off balance by an unexpected event or piece of information.

Usage Examples

• Literal meaning:

  • Tôi leo cầu thang trong bóng tối và bị hẫng chân một bước. (I was climbing the stairs in the dark and missed a step / lost my footing.)
  • Anh ấy bước tới nhưng không có bậc thang nào cả, khiến anh hẫng chân ngã xuống. (He stepped forward but there was no stair, causing him to step into emptiness and fall.)

• Figurative meaning:

  • Nghe tin công ty phá sản, tôi cảm thấy hoàn toàn hẫng chân. (Hearing the news of the company's bankruptcy, I felt completely thrown off balance / destabilized.)
  • Câu hỏi bất ngờ của giám khảo khiến thí sinh hẫng chân vài giây. (The judge's unexpected question caused the contestant to be caught off guard for a few seconds.)

Advanced Usage

• "Cảm giác hẫng chân": The feeling of losing one's footing.

  • Cảm giác hẫng chân khi tỉnh dậy từ một cơn ác mộng thật khó chịu. (The feeling of being thrown off balance upon waking from a nightmare is very unpleasant.)

• "Làm cho ai đó hẫng chân": To cause someone to lose their footing (literal) or to catch someone off guard (figurative).

  • Chiến thuật của đối thủ hoàn toàn làm đội chủ nhà hẫng chân. (The opponent's tactics completely caught the home team off guard.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hụt chân: This is a very close synonym, often used interchangeably with "hẫng chân" to mean to miss one's step or footing.

  • Cô ấy hụt chân trên vỉa hè trơn. (She missed her step on the slippery sidewalk.)

• Chệch chân: To misstep; to place one's foot incorrectly.

• Mất đà: To lose momentum, which can be a consequence of "hẫng chân".

Synonyms

• Literal: To miss a step; to lose one's footing; to step into a void.
• Figurative: To be caught off balance; to be taken aback; to be destabilized; to be thrown off.

Related Phrases / Idioms

• "Hẫng hụt": This adjective describes a state of being unsteady, lacking support, or feeling insecure, often emotionally or financially. It is related to the feeling evoked by "hẫng chân".

  • Sau trận lụt, cuộc sống của nhiều người dân trở nên hẫng hụt. (After the flood, the lives of many residents became precarious/unsteady.)

• "Đứng không vững": To stand unsteadily; a possible result of "hẫng chân".