# Persian: to stumble, to trip



## ali likes the stars

Hello guys,

so my little kid scurries around tirelessly, and more often than not she looses her balance because her feet get caught by each other and she stumbles, or her foot hits something on the floor and she trips. If I want to say to her, "be careful not to fall", I'd say مواظب باش که نیفتی.

But I want to explicitly say "be careful not to stumble (or trip)". I looked it up and came up with مواظب باش که *سکندری *نخوری.

However, I am not entirely sure whether or not that is even correct. Most dictionaries explain it as با سر به زمین آمدن.
So, does سکندری خوردن imply actually falling to the ground? Or can I use it as "stumbling" or "tripping"?


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## PersoLatin

ali likes the stars said:


> So, does سکندری خوردن imply actually falling to the ground? Or can I use it as "stumbling" or "tripping"?


سکندری خوردن is "stumbling" and is not commonly used in the context you need, I would just say: مواظب باش نخوری زمین or مواظب باش نیفتی زمین,
سکندری خوردن is what happens after you trip or are tripped, but not the trip/tripping itself.


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## ali likes the stars

PersoLatin said:


> سکندری خوردن is what happens after you trip or are tripped, but not trip/tripping itself.



I see. Is there a word for the act of stumbling or tripping? Because it's not necessarily about falling. If for example my kid is walking while holding a coup of water, I want to tell her to not stumble (and spill).

مواظب باش نیوفتی زمین
مواظب باش نخوری زمین
مواظب باش نریزی
مواظب باش پات به جای نوخوره

These are all warnings about what happens when you stumble. But non of them means "Don't stumble."
It's like talking about a secret birthday party without ever naming it, so the birthday child won't get it.

Well I guess my problem is how things are said in German, which is my leading language. It oftenly just can't be said in Persian the same way.


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## PersoLatin

ali likes the stars said:


> But non of them means "Don't stumble."


You are right in Persian we don't say 'don't stumble' but that may be because that's a given


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## ali likes the stars

PersoLatin said:


> but that may be because that's a given



I didn't see it that way


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## PersoLatin

ali likes the stars said:


> مواظب باش نیوفتی زمین


Basically you can only fall if you trip hence مواظب باش نیوفتی


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## ali likes the stars

Alright.



PersoLatin said:


> سکندری خوردن is "stumbling" and is not commonly used in the context you need


So, where do you use it? Or rather, do you use it?


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## farzan

There is also stagger, تلوتلوخوردن


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## PersoLatin

ali likes the stars said:


> So, where do you use it? Or rather, do you use it?


I have only heard it when someone describes stumble or fall of someone else, but never as an imperative.


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## PersoLatin

farzan said:


> There is also stagger, تلوتلوخوردن


We are entering Khayyam territory now


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## farzan

Are you, PersoLatin, referring to the implicit drunken state? Well, just to be precise, one may stagger as a result of a stupor caused by something other than wine, or because one loses one's balance by chance, or, if you like, in an unforced way, and can't regain it.


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## PersoLatin

^ You are absolutely right farzan.


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## ali likes the stars

farzan said:


> There is also stagger, تلوتلوخوردن



I wasn't aware of this term. This is very helpful, as it is actually something kids do  ( We all know how kids are drunken by nature...


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## farzan

It’s a good verb, yes, I totally agree. In my experience it’s somehow always the walls that lurch towards kids and knock them about, never the kids, or so they say! There is also پشت پا گرفتن براى كسى, to trip someone up.


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## ali likes the stars

farzan said:


> There is also پشت پا گرفتن براى كسى, to trip someone up.



Again, very helpful and much appreciated! There are still so many expressions I have not heard before.


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