English–Chinese
“steps” in Chinese
Chinese
Pronunciation
Pinyintái jiē
Example
别跑，前面有台阶。bié pǎo qián miàn yǒu tái jiē
Don't run; there are steps ahead.
How to say “steps” in Chinese
“Steps” in Chinese is 台阶 (tái jiē).
A small rise reached by steps, with the same image extending to a dignified way out of a difficult exchange.
Example sentences with 台阶
她没有当众指责他，而是给了他台阶，让他有面子地承认错误。tā méi yǒu dāng zhòng zhǐ zé tā ér shì gěi le tā tái jiē ràng tā yǒu miàn zi dì chéng rèn cuò wù
She did not criticize him publicly, but gave him a way out, allowing him to admit his mistake without losing face.
Tips for using 台阶
- In conversation, offering this kind of retreat can signal tact, whereas refusing it can make a disagreement sound uncompromising.