踩空

cǎikōng

verb

Meanings

Tā xià lóu shí yī jiǎo cǎikōng, chà diǎn shuāidǎo.

He missed a step going downstairs and almost fell.

Xiǎoxīn bié cǎikōng le.

Be careful not to miss your footing.

usage

In stock-market slang, 踩空 also means missing out on a rally — being out of the market when prices jump. Same logic: your foot lands on nothing.

踩 cǎi

空 kōng