Bedeutung
To trip someone up or sabotage.
Kultureller Hintergrund
In Lithuanian basketball culture, 'trauma pakišo koją' is a very emotional phrase. Because basketball is the 'second religion', an injury to a star player is seen as a national tragedy caused by this 'trip'. Lithuanians are generally reserved. If someone says 'man pakišo koją' at work, they are often being quite direct about someone else's unfair behavior, which is a significant statement in a modest culture. Students often use this phrase to externalize failure. It's easier to say 'the difficult question tripped me up' than to say 'I didn't study enough'. The idiom likely stems from 'Ristynės' (traditional belt wrestling), where leg maneuvers were the key to victory. This makes the idiom feel very 'native' and ancient to Lithuanians.
Use with abstract nouns
To sound like a native, use abstract nouns as the subject. Instead of saying 'I failed because of the weather', say 'Lietus man pakišo koją'.
Dative is Key
Never use the accusative for the person. It's always 'man', 'tau', 'jam', etc.
Bedeutung
To trip someone up or sabotage.
Use with abstract nouns
To sound like a native, use abstract nouns as the subject. Instead of saying 'I failed because of the weather', say 'Lietus man pakišo koją'.
Dative is Key
Never use the accusative for the person. It's always 'man', 'tau', 'jam', etc.
Face-saving
Use this phrase when you want to explain a failure without sounding like it was entirely your fault. It shifts the blame to a 'trip'.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the correct dative form of the pronoun.
Jis yra piktas, todėl pakišo ___ (me) koją.
The idiom 'pakišti koją' always takes the dative case for the person being tripped.
Which sentence uses the idiom correctly to mean 'The rain ruined our plans'?
Pasirinkite teisingą sakinį:
Option A is correct because it uses 'koją' (leg) and the dative 'planams'.
Match the cause with the result using 'pakišo koją'.
Trauma -> Krepšininkas; Jaudulys -> Dainininkas; Klaida -> Projektas
All these are perfect examples of how external or internal factors 'trip up' a person or project.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Kodėl tu pavėlavai? B: Spūstys gatvėse ___.
Traffic jams (spūstys) are a common thing that 'trips up' one's schedule.
Match the Lithuanian phrase with its English meaning.
1. Pakišti koją; 2. Kišti pagalius į ratus; 3. Išmušti iš vėžių
These are three related idioms about hindering progress.
🎉 Ergebnis: /5
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Aufgabensammlung
5 AufgabenJis yra piktas, todėl pakišo ___ (me) koją.
The idiom 'pakišti koją' always takes the dative case for the person being tripped.
Pasirinkite teisingą sakinį:
Option A is correct because it uses 'koją' (leg) and the dative 'planams'.
Trauma -> Krepšininkas; Jaudulys -> Dainininkas; Klaida -> Projektas
All these are perfect examples of how external or internal factors 'trip up' a person or project.
A: Kodėl tu pavėlavai? B: Spūstys gatvėse ___.
Traffic jams (spūstys) are a common thing that 'trips up' one's schedule.
Ordne jedem Element links seinen Partner rechts zu:
These are three related idioms about hindering progress.
🎉 Ergebnis: /5
Häufig gestellte Fragen
5 FragenNo, 'pakišti koją' is strictly for negative outcomes or setbacks.
It's neutral. If you say 'the budget tripped us up', it's fine. If you say 'you tripped me up', it's an accusation.
'Pakišti' is a one-time event. 'Pakišinėti' is a repeated action (like a coworker who always sabotages you).
No, you cannot say 'pakišti ranką' or 'pakišti pirštą'. The idiom is fixed with 'koją'.
Not at all. It often refers to inanimate things like 'trauma', 'oras' (weather), or 'likimas' (fate).
Verwandte Redewendungen
kišti pagalius į ratus
similarTo put sticks in the wheels.
išmušti iš vėžių
similarTo knock someone out of their tracks.
padėti tašką
contrastTo put a period/dot (to end something).
pakišinėti koją
specialized formTo keep tripping someone up.
