📖 Meaning
A place where one can stand or plant one's feet. Metaphorically, it refers to a place or position where one can live, survive, or establish oneself in society. It often implies having even the most basic foothold or standing.
📜 Origin Story
This phrase originates from 'Xuān Tíng Yuān' (轩亭冤), a Qing dynasty work by Xiānglíng Zǐ. In the text, a character confronts a group of arrogant individuals, demanding to know whether they still have any place left to stand. The idiom subsequently gained broader literary usage, notably appearing in Cao Xueqin's classic novel 'Dream of the Red Chamber' (红楼梦), where it conveys a character's sense of having lost all ground beneath them.
💡 Example Usage
在竞争激烈的行业中，这家公司已经没有立足之地了。
In this fiercely competitive industry, the company no longer has any foothold to stand on.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 立足之地
- Pinyin: lì zú zhī dì
- Literal Translation: stand, foot, of, ground
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4