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たたらを踏む (たたらをふむ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
expression, godan verb (-mu)
stumble forward a few steps ; totter forward when trying to stop
idiomatic expression
Describes the motion of taking a few stumbling steps forward, often when trying to stop suddenly or after passing one's intended stopping point. An idiomatic expression.
彼かれ
は
駅えき
を
通とお
り
過す
ぎ
て
、
たたら
を
踏ふ
ん
だ
。
He passed the station and tottered forward a few steps.
Written forms たたらを 踏ふ む
Standard kana-kanji mixed spelling; the most recognizable form for this idiom.
踏鞴たたら を 踏ふ む
Kanji spelling using 踏鞴; rarely used and may be unfamiliar to many readers.
蹈鞴たたら を 踏ふ む
Variant with 蹈 instead of 踏; extremely rare and essentially obsolete.
Kanji 踏 step, trample, carry through 蹈 step on, trample, carry through Similar words よろめく よろめく is a general verb for staggering or tottering, while たたらを踏む specifically refers to stumbling forward a few steps, often when trying to stop.
つまずく つまずく means to trip or stumble over something, whereas たたらを踏む focuses on the forward tottering motion itself, not necessarily caused by an obstacle.
Etymology The term たたら is thought to refer to the bellows used in traditional iron smelting, and the idiom may derive from the unsteady, tottering motion of operating such bellows. The exact origin is uncertain.
