坐蜡

坐蠟
zuòlà
verb

Meanings

  1. 1 to be put in an awkward spot
  2. 2 to be embarrassed
  3. 3 to be stuck in a tough situation

Examples

HSK 3
Tā zhè yī wèn, bǎ wǒ gěi zuòlà le.
That question of his really put me on the spot.
HSK 4
Dāyìng le yòu zuò búdào, zhèxià zuòlà le ba?
You promised and now you can't deliver - stuck in a tight corner now, aren't you?

Tips

register
Colloquial, slightly playful, mostly heard in northern Mandarin (especially Beijing). Pairs well with (gěi) as a passive marker: 坐蜡 (bǎ wǒ gěi zuò là le) = 'really put me in a bind'.
memory
Imagine accidentally sitting in melted candle wax (, là) - you're stuck, awkward, and want to get up but can't. That's 坐蜡.

Stroke Order

zuò