Looking up...
To hinder or impede someone's progress by being slow or ineffective.
我们队输了，都是因为你拖后腿！
We lost the game—it's all because you held us back!
别拖后腿，快点跟上！
Don't hold me back—keep up!
Often used in teamwork or competitive contexts to urge someone to perform better.
Use '别拖后腿' when someone is slowing down a group effort. It’s informal and implies urgency or frustration.
Do not translate '别拖后腿' word-for-word as 'don't drag your hind legs.' The figurative meaning is key.
The phrase combines '拖' (tuō, to drag) and '后腿' (hòutuǐ, hind legs), originally referring to an animal (like a horse) being held back by its hind legs. Over time, it evolved into a metaphor for someone slowing down progress.
Commonly used in spoken Chinese to criticize or urge someone to stop being a burden in a group effort. Often appears in imperative sentences.