迫不及待
迫不及待 (pò bù jí dài) literally means “urgent cannot reach waiting” and expresses “can't wait; eager”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: po bu ji dai, po bu ji dai,迫不及待 meaning, 迫不及待 in english
Can't wait; eager
Pronunciation: pò bù jí dài Literal meaning: Urgent cannot reach waiting
Origin & Usage
Pressed (迫) so hard that one cannot manage (不及) to wait (待). 不及 is a failure to reach something in time, so what is described is waiting that has been overtaken rather than patience that has been lost. That is a slightly different claim, and it is why the phrase carries no criticism: nobody is being impatient, the pressure simply outran them. Somebody opening a letter in the corridor; a child who cannot get their shoes off fast enough.
Examples
English: "She couldn't wait to share the good news with her family."
Chinese: 她迫不及待地想和家人分享这个好消息。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
迫在眉睫
pò zài méi jié
Extremely urgent
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过犹不及
guò yóu bù jí
Moderation in all things
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依依不舍
yī yī bù shě
Reluctant to part; lingering attachment
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触景生情
chù jǐng shēng qíng
Moved by the sight of something familiar
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恍如隔世
huǎng rú gé shì
Feeling as if ages have passed
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息息相关
xī xī xiāng guān
Closely related; intimately connected
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一厢情愿
yī xiāng qíng yuàn
Wishful thinking; one-sided assumption
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故土难离
gù tǔ nán lí
Hard to leave one's homeland
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 迫不及待 mean in English?
迫不及待 (pò bù jí dài) literally translates to “Urgent cannot reach waiting” and is used to express “Can't wait; eager”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 迫不及待 used?
Situation: She couldn't wait to share the good news with her family.
What is the pinyin for 迫不及待?
The pinyin pronunciation for 迫不及待 is “pò bù jí dài”.