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

他在冰上一滑，摔得四脚朝天。

Tā zài bīngshàng yì huá, shuāi de sìjiǎocháotiān.

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

乌龟翻了个四脚朝天。

Wūguī fān le ge sìjiǎocháotiān.

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