hụt chân
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To lose one's footing; to miss a step: To fail to step securely or to place one's foot on an expected surface, often resulting in a stumble or near-fall.
- To slip; to make a misstep: To experience a momentary loss of balance while walking or climbing.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Anh ấy suýt ngã vì hụt chân trên cầu thang. (He almost fell because he missed a step on the stairs.)
- Cẩn thận, đừng để hụt chân trên sàn trơn. (Be careful, don't slip on the wet floor.)
- Tôi hụt chân khi xuống xe buýt. (I lost my footing when getting off the bus.)
Advanced Usage
- Used figuratively to mean "to make a mistake" or "to slip up": While the primary meaning is physical, it can be extended metaphorically in informal contexts.
- Trong cuộc phỏng vấn, anh ta đã hụt chân khi không trả lời được câu hỏi cơ bản. (During the interview, he slipped up by not answering a basic question.)
Variants and Related Words
- Trượt chân (verb phrase): To slip (one's foot). Often used interchangeably with 'hụt chân' but can imply a slide on a surface.
- Mất đà (verb phrase): To lose momentum. A related concept of losing physical control.
- Vấp (verb): To trip over something.
Synonyms
- Mất thăng bằng (verb phrase): To lose balance.
- Sẩy chân (verb phrase): To have a misstep (less common).
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Hụt hơi: To be out of breath; to fall short. This shares the sense of failing to meet an expectation or standard, similar to the figurative use of 'hụt chân'.
- Chân nam đá chân xiêu: To be unsteady on one's feet; to stagger. Describes an unstable gait, which could result from 'hụt chân'.