跋前踬后 bá qián zhì hòu

DEFINITIONS

  1. to trip forwards or stumble back (idiom, from Book of Songs); can't get anything right

CHARACTERS

跋 bá go by foot; epilogue, colophon
前 qián
HSK 1
in front, forward; preceding
踬 zhì stumble, totter; fail, be frustrated
后 hòu
HSK 1
queen, empress, sovereign; (simp. for 後) behind, rear, after