Muundo wa matumizi:
[someone] staggers (around/along/back) (to/into/out of) [place]
He staggered out of the bar and grabbed the railing.
Kitántorgott a bárból, és megragadta a korlátot.
After the long hike, she staggered toward the car, exhausted.
A hosszú túra után kimerülten a kocsi felé tántorgott.
The child staggered on the ice but managed not to fall.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
I was so tired that I staggered to my bed.
Annyira fáradt voltam, hogy az ágyamig tántorogtam.
Kosa la kawaida:
Don’t confuse with "stagger" meaning "schedule at different times" (e.g., stagger shifts).
Maana
walk or move unsteadily
Miunganiko ya maneno
stagger home
|stagger back
|stagger down the street
|stagger to the door
|stagger into the room
|stagger out of the building
|stagger forward
|stagger away
|stagger to safety
|stagger to bed
Visawe
totter (Suggests weak, shaky steps, often from age or instability.)
|
stumble (Often refers to tripping or making a misstep.)
|
lurch (Emphasizes a sudden, uneven movement.)
Vinyume
stride (Walk confidently with long, steady steps.)
|
walk steadily (Move without losing balance.)
Mada
daily_life
|health
|movement
Ufafanuzi
To walk in an unsteady way, like you might fall.
To walk or move with unsteady steps, as if you might fall, especially because of injury, tiredness, or alcohol.
Muundo wa matumizi:
[something] staggers [someone] | [someone] is staggered (by/at) [something]
The final bill staggered us.
A végszámla teljesen elképesztett minket.
It staggers me that he can lie so easily.
Elképeszt, hogy ilyen könnyen tud hazudni.
She was staggered by how quickly the situation changed.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
The price staggered me.
Az ár teljesen elképesztett.
Kosa la kawaida:
This meaning is usually about feelings or reactions, not physical movement.
Maana
shock or astonish greatly
Miunganiko ya maneno
be staggered by the news
|be staggered at the cost
|staggered by the scale
|staggered to learn
|stagger the imagination
|staggered by the cruelty
|staggering figure
|staggered by the number
Visawe
astound (Neutral-to-formal word for very strong surprise.)
|
shock (Emphasizes something upsetting or disturbing.)
|
stun (Suggests leaving someone unable to react for a moment.)
Vinyume
reassure (Makes someone feel less worried or surprised.)
|
expect (Removes the sense of surprise.)
Mada
emotions
|news
|opinions
Ufafanuzi
To surprise or shock someone a lot.
To shock or astonish someone very much, often because something seems extreme, surprising, or hard to believe.
Muundo wa matumizi:
stagger [events/times/payments/shifts]
The company staggered lunch breaks to avoid crowded cafeterias.
A vállalat lépcsőzetesen ütemezte az ebédszüneteket, hogy ne legyen zsúfolt a menza.
They staggered the departures so traffic wouldn’t build up at the exit.
Lépcsőzetesen ütemezték az indulásokat, hogy ne torlódjon fel a forgalom a kijáratnál.
We staggered the payments over six months.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
They staggered the meeting times.
Lépcsőzetesen ütemezték a megbeszélések időpontjait.
Kosa la kawaida:
Not the same as "scatter" (throw in many directions); "stagger" is controlled spacing or timing.
Maana
schedule at different times
Miunganiko ya maneno
stagger the start times
|stagger shifts
|stagger working hours
|stagger payments
|stagger appointments
|stagger meetings
|stagger deadlines
|stagger arrivals
|stagger departures
|stagger a rollout
Visawe
spread out (More general; less tied to scheduling.)
|
space out (Informal; emphasizes leaving gaps between items.)
|
offset (Emphasizes being out of line or out of sync.)
Vinyume
synchronize (Make things happen at the same time.)
|
align (Put in the same line or position.)
Mada
work
|business
|planning
Ufafanuzi
To plan things so they happen at different times, not all at once.
To arrange for people or events to happen at different times (or in different positions) so they do not all happen together or line up.
Muundo wa matumizi:
[something] staggers [someone/something]
The punch staggered him, but he stayed on his feet.
Az ütés megtántorította, de talpon maradt.
A sudden gust staggered the cyclist.
Egy hirtelen széllökés megtántorította a kerékpárost.
The blast staggered the crowd and sent people stumbling backward.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
The ball hit his head and staggered him.
A labda fejbe találta, és megtántorította.
Kosa la kawaida:
In this physical meaning, "stagger" is usually transitive: something staggers someone.
Maana
make someone lose balance
Miunganiko ya maneno
a blow staggered him
|stagger an opponent
|staggered by the impact
|staggered by the blast
|staggered by the shove
|staggered by the hit
|stagger a boxer
|staggered by the collision
Visawe
unbalance (Focuses on losing balance rather than the manner of movement.)
|
rock (Often used for a strong hit that makes someone sway.)
|
knock (Common in sports; suggests a forceful impact.)
Vinyume
steady (Help someone regain balance or stability.)
|
stabilize (Make something firm or less likely to fall.)
Mada
sports
|violence
|movement
Ufafanuzi
To make someone almost fall or lose balance.
To cause someone or something to move unsteadily or almost fall, especially by hitting, pushing, or shaking it.
Muundo wa matumizi:
take a stagger
He took a stagger to the side and grabbed the wall.
Oldalra tántorodott egyet, és megkapaszkodott a falban.
With one last stagger, she reached the chair and sat down.
Még egy utolsót tántorodott, elérte a széket, és leült.
Kosa la kawaida:
This noun use is much less common than the verb.
Maana
an unsteady step or lurch
Miunganiko ya maneno
take a stagger
|a drunken stagger
|a sudden stagger
|a stagger to the side
|a stagger backward
Visawe
lurch (Often stronger and more sudden than a stagger.)
|
stumble (Often implies tripping or catching your foot.)
Vinyume
steady step (A balanced, controlled step.)
Ufafanuzi
An unsteady step or movement.
An unsteady movement or step, as if from losing balance.