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Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "stumble" in Chinese?
跌跌撞撞
diē diē zhuàng zhuàng
In Chinese, "stumble" is 跌跌撞撞 (diē diē zhuàng zhuàng).
Listen to the pronunciation:
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Pronunciation
Pronounce diē diē zhuàng zhuàng by giving it "diē" held flat and high (first tone), then "diē" held flat and high (first tone), then "zhuàng" snapped down sharply (fourth tone), then "zhuàng" snapped down sharply (fourth tone).
Writing and usage
跌跌撞撞 is written using hanzi. It's a verb, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.
Example sentence
他绊倒了，开始踉跄。
tā bàn dǎo le ， kāi shǐ liàng qiàng 。
He tripped and began to stumble.
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How to remember 跌跌撞撞
Say "diē diē zhuàng zhuàng" and picture stumble at the exact same moment — that snapshot is your anchor for the word.
Related words
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 跌跌撞撞
How do you pronounce 跌跌撞撞?
Pronounce diē diē zhuàng zhuàng by giving it "diē" held flat and high (first tone), then "diē" held flat and high (first tone), then "zhuàng" snapped down sharply (fourth tone), then "zhuàng" snapped down sharply (fourth tone).
Is 跌跌撞撞 formal or casual?
跌跌撞撞 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.
How is 跌跌撞撞 used in Chinese?
跌跌撞撞 is used the same way as the equivalent English verb. For example: 他绊倒了，开始踉跄。 (He tripped and began to stumble.).
Where can I practice Chinese words for free?
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"Stumble" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
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