つまずく
つまずく
verb (godan, intransitive)
to stumble; to trip
1.
to stumble; to trip
To catch one's foot on something and lose balance while walking or running. The obstacle causes an unintended forward motion that may or may not result in a fall.
石につまずいて転びそうになった。
I tripped on a stone and almost fell.
暗い廊下でつまずかないように気をつけてください。
Please be careful not to trip in the dark hallway.
2.
to encounter an obstacle; to hit a snag
Figuratively, to encounter an unexpected problem or difficulty that hinders progress in work, life, or a project.
新しいプロジェクトは予算問題でつまずいた。
The new project hit a snag due to budget issues.
CONJUGATION:
- つまずく → つまずかない (negative)
- つまずく → つまずいて (te-form)
- つまずく → つまずいた (past)
ORTHOGRAPHY:
Can be written in kanji as 躓く, but the hiragana form is more common in everyday writing.
USAGE:
The physical meaning (sense 1) is more common in everyday conversation, while the figurative meaning (sense 2) appears frequently in news and business contexts.
COLLOCATIONS:
- 石につまずく - to trip on a stone
- 段差につまずく - to trip on a step
- 最初の一歩でつまずく - to stumble at the first step
- 出だしからつまずく - to stumble from the start