Definition
下脚 is a separable verb (离合词) meaning 'to get a foothold' or 'to plant one's foot' — literally 'to put down a foot'. It's used in negative constructions to say there's no room to stand, often describing a cramped or messy space. It can also refer to leftover bits and pieces (下脚料) in a material sense. The verb can split: 下不了脚 ('can't get a foothold').
v.o.
to get a footholdto plant one's foot (often in negative constructions)leftover bits and pieces (in material contexts)
Examples
- ，下脚。Fángjiān lǐ duī mǎn le dōngxi, lián xià jiǎ de dìfang dōu méiyǒu.The room is piled with stuff — there's no room to even stand.
- ，。Dìtiě lǐ rén tài duō le, gēnběn xià bù liǎo jiǎo.The subway is so crowded you can't even get a foothold.
- 下脚。Zhèxiē xià jiǎ liào hái néng yòng lái zuò xiǎo gōngyìpǐn.These leftover scraps can still be used to make small crafts.
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