踉跄

踉蹌
liàngqiàng
verb #36,752

Meanings

  1. 1 to stagger; to walk unsteadily
  2. 2 to stumble

Examples

Tā hēzuì le, liàngqiàng zhe zǒu chū jiǔbā.
He was drunk and staggered out of the bar.
Lǎorén bèi bàn le yí xià, liàngqiàng le jǐ bù cái zhànwěn.
The old man tripped and stumbled a few steps before regaining his balance.

Tips

usage
Almost always used with (walk) or as the action itself: 踉跄, 踉跄一下. The radical on both characters tells you it's a leg/foot word — instantly recognizable as 'unsteady walking'.
memory
Both characters share the (foot) radical — a visual reminder that this is feet doing something they shouldn't. Two wobbly feet = staggering.

Stroke Order

liàng
qiàng