跋前躓後 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
躓 zhì stumble, totter; fail, be frustrated
後 hòu behind, rear, after; descendents