四脚朝天

四腳朝天

sìjiǎo-cháotiān

idiom

Meanings

1 four legs in the air
2 flat on one's back
3 belly-up

Characters

Examples

HSK 5

他在冰上一滑，摔得四脚朝天。

Tā zài bīng shàng yì huá, shuāi de sìjiǎo-cháotiān.

He slipped on the ice and landed flat on his back.

HSK 6

乌龟翻了个四脚朝天。

Wūguī fān le ge sìjiǎo-cháotiān.

The turtle flipped over onto its back.

Tips

usage

Vivid and slightly comic - commonly used for pratfalls and overturned animals. Too informal for formal writing.

Stroke Order

四 sì

脚 jiǎo

朝 cháo

天 tiān