Definitions

qiāng walk rapidly
qiàng stagger; sway from side to side

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "跄", denoting an unsteady or staggering walk, derives from its traditional form "蹌", structured with the semantic component "足" relating to the foot or movement and the phonetic component "倉" indicating its pronunciation. Historically, this character described a range of walking manners, including hurried or formally paced steps, but its meaning gradually narrowed to focus specifically on irregular and stumbling movement. In the simplified form, the phonetic element is abbreviated to "仓", preserving the auditory cue while streamlining the character's composition, and this version continues to function primarily in compounds such as "踉跄" to express the concept of stumbling.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他走路有点踉

Tā zǒulù yǒudiǎn liàngqiàng.

He walks a bit unsteadily.

老人踉地向前走。

Lǎorén liàngqiàng de xiàngqián zǒu.

The old man staggered forward.

他喝醉后踉回家。

Tā hēzuì hòu liàngqiàng huíjiā.

He staggered home after getting drunk.

受伤的运动员踉着冲过终点。

Shòushāng de yùndòngyuán liàngqiàng zhe chōngguò zhōngdiǎn.

The injured athlete staggered across the finish line.

在黑暗中,他踉了几步才站稳。

Zài hēi'àn zhōng, tā liàngqiàng le jǐ bù cái zhàn wěn.

In the darkness, he staggered a few steps before steadying himself.

她因头晕而踉了一下。

Tā yīn tóuyūn ér liàngqiàng le yīxià.

She staggered a bit due to dizziness.

尽管踉不断,他仍然坚持走到了目的地。

Jǐnguǎn liàngqiàng bùduàn, tā réngrán jiānchí zǒu dào le mùdìdì.

Despite constant staggering, he still persevered and walked to the destination.

在暴风雨中,他踉着试图保持平衡,但最终还是摔倒了。

Zài bàofēngyǔ zhōng, tā liàngqiàng zhe shìtú bǎochí pínghéng, dàn zuìzhōng háishì shuāidǎo le.

In the storm, he staggered trying to maintain balance, but ultimately fell down.