Definition

Verb: To take a false step; to slip or trip, often resulting in a loss of balance or a fall.

Usage

This verb describes the specific action of making an inadvertent, misjudged, or unsteady step, typically on an uneven, slippery, or unexpected surface. It emphasizes the moment of losing secure footing. * Cẩn thận kẻo sẩy chân trên cầu thang ướt. (Be careful not to take a false step on the wet stairs.) * Trời tối, anh ấy sẩy chân ngã xuống mương. (It was dark, and he tripped and fell into the ditch.) * Bà cụ sẩy chân trên vỉa hè trơn. (The old lady slipped on the slick sidewalk.)

Advanced Usage

• Used figuratively: It can metaphorically describe a mistake or misstep in behavior, judgment, or morality.
  • Trong cơn say, anh ta đã sẩy chân phạm phải lỗi lầm. (In his drunken state, he stumbled and committed a mistake.)

Variants and Related Words

• Trượt chân: To slip (often emphasizing the sliding motion on a smooth surface).
• Hụt chân: To miss a step (often when expecting a surface that isn't there, like missing a stair).
• Vấp: To trip over an object.
• Ngã: To fall (the result of , , or ).

Synonyms

• Trip: To catch one's foot on something and stumble or fall.
• Slip: To slide unintentionally, typically losing one's balance.
• Stumble: To trip or momentarily lose one's balance while walking.

Related Idioms

• Sẩy chân gãy giò: Literally "to take a false step and break a leg"; used to emphasize the serious consequence of a single misstep or mistake.
  • Làm việc này phải thận trọng, sẩy chân gãy giò đấy. (You must be cautious with this job; one wrong move could lead to disaster.)

verb

1. to take a false step; to trip