滑倒
huádǎo
To slip (verb) in Mandarin is 滑倒 (huádǎo).
Meaning: to lose one's traction (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound where 滑 means 'to slide/slippery' and 倒 means 'to fall over'.
Which one should you use?
While 滑倒 specifically implies the result of falling down, the single character 滑 refers more generally to the act of sliding or the quality of being slippery. Additionally, 滑 can also be used as a noun meaning 'the act of slipping'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To indicate that the slip and fall has already occurred, you can add 了 after the verb to form 滑倒了.
How do you pronounce it?
huádǎo
Did you know?
- In modern digital slang, 滑 is used as a verb for scrolling through a social media feed on a smartphone, similar to how English speakers say 'scrolling'.
- The character 滑 is also used to describe a person's personality as 'slippery' or 'slick', meaning they are cleverly cunning or witty in a way that is hard to pin down.
- To describe a 'slip of the tongue', Mandarin uses the phrase 口误, which focuses on the 'error' rather than the physical motion of 'slipping'.
Examples in context
- 冬天有很多老人在冰上滑倒。In the winter, many older people slip on ice and fall down.This sentence is useful for describing elderly people slipping on ice in winter using 滑倒.Tatoeba #5640779 by verdastelo9604, translation #279649 by CK
- 不要在冰上滑倒啊。Don't slip on the ice.This sentence is a warning not to slip on ice using 滑倒.Tatoeba #3364555 by kaenif, translation #3022625 by sharptoothed
- 她慢慢地走，這樣她就不會滑倒了。She walked slowly so she wouldn't slip.This sentence describes walking slowly to avoid the possibility of 滑倒.Tatoeba #905344 by Martha, translation #508784 by CK
- 小明在冰上滑倒了。Little Ming slipped on the ice.
- 她在湿滑的路上失足了。She slipped on the wet and slippery road.
- 他滑了一跤，笑得前仰后合的。He slipped and fell, laughing hysterically.
Example conversation
Walking on a wet floor in a shopping mall.
- 志强 Zhiqiang小心，这里的水让你滑倒。Xiǎoxīn, zhèlǐ de shuǐ ràng nǐ huádǎo.Careful, the water here will make you slip.
- 雨婷 Yuting谢谢你，志强。Xièxiè nǐ, Zhìqiáng.Thank you, Zhiqiang.
- 志强 Zhiqiang我看有人在这里滑倒了。Wǒ kàn yǒurén zài zhèlǐ huádǎo le.I saw someone slip here.
- 雨婷 Yuting我们要慢慢走，雨婷。Wǒmen yào mànman zǒu, Yǔtíng.We need to walk slowly, Yuting.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
