惊魂未定 (jīng hún wèi dìng) — still badly shaken; not yet recovered from a sh… | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Literally 'startled soul not yet settled': still in shock after a frightening event, body and mind not back to normal. Used for lingering shaken states, not a momentary scare.

idiom

still badly shakennot yet recovered from a shock

Examples

惊魂未定，。
Tā chū le chē huò zhī hòu yì zhí jīng hún wèi dìng, wǎn shàng shuì bù zháo jué.
He's been badly shaken after the car accident and can't sleep at night.
，惊魂未定。
Suī rán dì zhèn yǐ jīng guò qù sān tiān, dàn dà jiā réng rán jīng hún wèi dìng.
Although the earthquake passed three days ago, everyone is still shaken.
惊魂未定，。
Tā tīng dào zhè ge huài xiāo xi hòu jīng hún wèi dìng, bàn tiān shuō bù chū huà lái.
After hearing the bad news, he was still badly shaken and couldn't speak for a long time.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

惊魂startled soul

惊jīngstartled魂húnsoul

偏正Modifier + head

未定not settled

未wèinot定dìngsettle

偏正Modifier + head

The startled “惊魂” is still “未定”, describing a shaken soul not yet settled.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

忄京惊

Meaning part形符xíngfú

忄Written in full as心xīnheart

Sound part声符shēngfú

京

京jīng惊jīng

Same sound today

惊 is made from 忄 (heart) and 京, which gives the sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

云鬼魂

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

云

云yún魂hún(r)

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

魂 is made from 鬼, the ghost component, plus 云, which supplies the sound.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape 未 shows a tree with extra branches spreading above its trunk, like lush, overlapping limbs.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

宀宀mián

Sound part声符shēngfú

正

正zhèng定dìng

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

定 is built from 宀 and 正, with 正 supplying the sound.

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