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.
千鳥足で歩く。
To walk with a drunken stagger.
彼は千鳥足で帰ってきた。
He came home staggering.
飲みすぎて千鳥足になり、友人に支えられて家まで帰った。
I drank too much and ended up staggering, so a friend helped me walk home.
ETYMOLOGY:
Literally "plover steps" (千鳥 = plover + 足 = foot/steps). Plovers walk in a distinctive zigzag pattern on the beach, which resembles the unsteady gait of a drunk person.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 千鳥足で歩く (to walk with a drunken stagger)
- 千鳥足になる (to start staggering)
- 千鳥足で帰る (to stagger home)
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