站不住脚

站不住腳

zhànbuzhù jiǎo

phrase

Meanings

HSK 5

这个说法根本站不住脚。

Zhège shuōfa gēnběn zhànbuzhù jiǎo.

This claim simply doesn't hold water.

HSK 7-9

他的借口一查就站不住脚了，监控录像显示他当时根本不在家。

Tā de jièkǒu yì chá jiù zhànbuzhù jiǎo le, jiānkòng lùxiàng xiǎnshì tā dāngshí gēnběn bú zài jiā.

His excuse fell apart as soon as it was checked: the security footage showed he wasn't home at the time.

usage

The positive form is 站得住脚, "to be well founded". Both are said of arguments, claims and excuses rather than of people standing.

站 zhàn

不 bù

住 zhù

脚 jiǎo