掉队

掉隊

diàoduì

verb HSK 7 #22,514

Meanings

1 to fall behind; to drop out of the group
2 to straggle; to lag behind

Characters

to fall; to drop

group; team; line

Literally 'fall from the group' — the image of someone dropping out of a marching formation.

Examples

走快点，别掉队了！

Zǒu kuài diǎn, bié diàoduì le!

Walk faster, don't fall behind!

如果不努力学习，就会掉队。

Rúguǒ bù nǔlì xuéxí, jiù huì diàoduì.

If you don't study hard, you'll fall behind.

Tips

usage

掉队 originally described soldiers falling behind during a march. Now it's commonly used for falling behind in school, work, or any competitive situation.

Stroke Order

掉 diào

队 duì