站稳脚跟

站穩腳跟

zhànwěn jiǎogēn

phrase

Meanings

HSK 4

这家创业公司花了三年才在市场上站稳脚跟。

Zhèjiā chuàngyè gōngsī huā le sānnián cái zài shìchǎng shang zhànwěn jiǎogēn.

It took the startup three years to gain a foothold in the market.

HSK 4

他刚来北京，还没站稳脚跟。

Tā gāng lái Běijīng, hái méi zhànwěn jiǎogēn.

He just came to Beijing and hasn't found his footing yet.

HSK 6

球队在联赛中站稳了脚跟。

Qiúduì zài liánsài zhōng zhànwěn le jiǎogēn.

The team has secured its place in the league.

memory

Literal: 站 (stand) + 稳 (steady) + 脚跟 (heels) - stand with your heels steady. Vivid mental image, easy to remember.

usage

Frequent in business, career, and political reporting. The verb form 站稳了脚跟 is very common; 站不稳脚跟 means to be unable to hold one's ground.

站 zhàn

稳 wěn

脚 jiǎo

跟 gēn