提心吊胆
提心吊胆 (tí xīn diào dǎn) literally means “lift heart hang gall” and expresses “constant dread; unable to stop worrying”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: ti xin diao dan, ti xin diao dan,提心吊胆 meaning, 提心吊胆 in english
Constant dread; unable to stop worrying
Pronunciation: tí xīn diào dǎn Literal meaning: Lift heart hang gall
Origin & Usage
The heart (心) hoisted up (提) and the gall bladder (胆) left swinging (吊). Chinese physiology puts courage in the gall, so the phrase names both organs of nerve as displaced at once — it is a description of the body, not of the thoughts. That is what separates it from ordinary worry. It describes sustained dread with a physical seat: waiting for a result, sitting through a flight in weather, living beside a situation that could break at any moment.
Examples
English: "The parents waited anxiously for their teenager to return home after midnight"
Chinese: 父母焦急地等待着午夜后他们十几岁的孩子回家
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
一波三折
yī bō sān zhé
Many twists and turns
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改邪归正
gǎi xié guī zhèng
Return to righteousness
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好逸恶劳
hào yì wù láo
Shirk effort by preference
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物极必反
wù jí bì fǎn
Push far enough and it turns
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塞翁失马
sài wēng shī mǎ
Misfortune might be a blessing
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近水楼台
jìn shuǐ lóu tái
Advantage from close connections
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夜郎自大
yè láng zì dà
Overestimate oneself
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因果报应
yīn guǒ bào yìng
Good and evil deeds repaid in kind
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 提心吊胆 mean in English?
提心吊胆 (tí xīn diào dǎn) literally translates to “Lift heart hang gall” and is used to express “Constant dread; unable to stop worrying”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 提心吊胆 used?
Situation: The parents waited anxiously for their teenager to return home after midnight
What is the pinyin for 提心吊胆?
The pinyin pronunciation for 提心吊胆 is “tí xīn diào dǎn”.