Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
足止めを食う (あしどめをくう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
expression, godan verb (-u)
be stranded ; be forced to stay
Used when someone is prevented from leaving a place due to circumstances like bad weather, transportation issues, or other obstacles. Often implies an involuntary or inconvenient stay.
が
止と
まり
、
駅えき
で
足あし
止ど
め
を
食く
っ
た
。
The train stopped because of an accident, and I was stuck at the station.
Written forms 足あし 止ど めを 食く う
Standard kanji spelling for this expression.
足あし 止ど めをくう
Kana spelling of the verb part; less common but still used.
足あし 留ど めを 食く う
Variant kanji for 止め; rarely used.
足あし 留ど めをくう
Rare variant combining the less common kanji and kana verb.
Kanji 足 leg, foot, be sufficient Similar words 立た ち 往おう 生じょう 立ち往生 means being stuck or stranded, often for vehicles or in a situation where one cannot move forward, but it is a noun/suru-verb and more formal. 足止めを食う is a colloquial expression focusing on the personal experience of being forced to stay.
缶かん 詰づめ 缶詰 literally means 'canned food', but idiomatically it can mean being confined or stuck somewhere for a long time. It is more metaphorical and often used for being cooped up indoors, while 足止めを食う specifically implies being prevented from traveling or leaving.
Etymology The expression combines 足止め (ashidome, 'stopping someone from going; detention') with 食う (kuu, 'to eat' but here used in the sense of 'to receive something unpleasant'). The verb 食う in this context conveys the idea of suffering an undesirable situation, similar to expressions like 目に遭う (me ni au, 'to experience something bad').
