千鳥足(ちどりあし)

ちどりあし
noun
tottering steps; drunken stagger
movement
1. tottering steps; drunken stagger; unsteady gait
An unsteady, zigzagging way of walking, typically caused by intoxication. The name comes from the zigzag pattern of a plover's footsteps on the beach.
千鳥足(ちどりあし)で歩(ある)く。
To walk with a drunken stagger.
彼(かれ)は千鳥足(ちどりあし)で帰(かえ)ってきた。
He came home staggering.
飲(の)みすぎて千鳥足(ちどりあし)になり、友人(ゆうじん)に支(ささ)えられて家(いえ)まで帰(かえ)った。
I drank too much and ended up staggering, so a friend helped me walk home.

Etymology

Literally "plover steps" (千鳥(ちどり) = plover + 足(あし) = foot/steps). Plovers walk in a distinctive zigzag pattern on the beach, which resembles the unsteady gait of a drunk person.

Common collocations

Similar words

  • ふらふら: unsteady, wobbly — a broader term for unsteadiness, not limited to drunkenness
  • よろよろ: tottering — emphasizes weakness or frailty rather than intoxication

Related Words

Related: ふらふら (unsteady, wobbly (general))
general
Added 2026.3.13 11:03 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
16000/16470_chidoriashi