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如坐针毡 (rú zuò zhēn zhān) — on pins and needles; extremely uneasy or anxious

Definition

Literal image: 'sitting on a针-针毡-like rug of needles' — vivid idiom for extreme anxiety, so restless you can't sit still.

idiom
on pins and needlesextremely uneasy or anxious

Examples

  • ，如坐针毡，。
    Tā tīng dào zhè ge xiāo xi hòu, rú zuò zhēn zhān, zuò lì bù ān.
    After hearing this news, he was on pins and needles and couldn't sit still.
  • ，如坐针毡，。
    Děng dài miàn shì jié guǒ de nà jǐ tiān, tā rú zuò zhēn zhān, chī bú xià yě shuì bù zháo.
    During the days waiting for the interview results, she was on pins and needles, unable to eat or sleep.
  • ，，如坐针毡。
    Huì yì shàng, lǎo bǎn fǎn fù zhuī wèn nà ge wèn tí, ràng suǒ yǒu yuán gōng rú zuò zhēn zhān.
    At the meeting, the boss repeatedly pressed that question, putting all the employees on pins and needles.

Origin

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
女
女nǚ如rú
Same sound today

如 is built from 口 (mouth) for its meaning and 女 (woman) for its sound.

Open 如 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The form 坐 combines 留, 'to stay', and 土, 'ground'.

Open 坐 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 針; 针 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
釒Written in full as金jīnmetal
Sound part声符shēngfú
十
十shí針zhēn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 針 puts 釒, the metal side, beside 十, which gives the sound; 针 is a simplified shorthand.

Open 针 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 氈; 毡 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
毛毛máohair, fur
Sound part声符shēngfú
亶
亶dǎn氈zhān
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 氈 uses 毛 (hair, fur) to show the meaning and 亶 to give the sound; 毡 is a later simplified shape.

Open 毡 →
Appears in
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