stand firm; gain a foothold; hold water
Meanings
4 senses · 14 examplesverb
to stop walking; to come to a standstill; to steady oneself
Often used in the negative form 站不住脚 to indicate losing one's balance or being unable to stop.
He was running too fast and couldn't stop himself in time.
The ice was too slippery; I almost lost my footing.
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The car braked suddenly, and the passengers couldn't steady themselves.
verb
to have no time to stop; to be too busy to pause
Almost exclusively used in negative constructions such as 忙得站不住脚.
I've been so busy these past few days that I haven't had a moment to pause.
There were too many guests; the waiters were run off their feet.
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Busy from morning till night, simply no time to stop.
verb
to establish oneself; to gain a foothold; to settle in
Implies successfully establishing a stable position in a location or field, often after effort.
This brand has finally established itself here.
To get a foothold in the industry, you need real skills.
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Foreign enterprises find it hard to gain a foothold in this market.
After years of effort, the company has finally established itself.
verb
to hold water; to be valid; to stand up (of arguments or reasons)
Used for theories, arguments, or reasons. Often appears in positive/negative constructions like 能站住脚 or 站不住脚.
This argument holds water.
That article's argument is valid.
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Your reason doesn't hold water.
This claim doesn't stand up legally.