巴不得 (bā bu dé) — to be eager for; to long for; can't wait to

Definition

巴不得 (bā bu de) is a very colloquial verb meaning 'can't wait to' or 'be eager for' something realistic to happen — it expresses impatient longing for an immediate event (e.g., the exam ending). Unlike formal 渴望 (kě wàng) or idealistic 憧憬 (chōng jǐng), 巴不得 is everyday spoken Chinese. Its closest sibling is 恨不得 (hèn bu de), but 巴不得 implies the desire is achievable; 恨不得 is used for impossible or exaggerated wishes.

verb

to be eager forto long forcan't wait to

Examples

巴不得。
Wǒ bā bu dé míngtiān jiù fàngjià.
I can't wait for the holiday to start tomorrow.
巴不得。
Tā bā bu dé mǎshàng huí jiā jiàn fùmǔ.
He is eager to go home and see his parents right away.
巴不得。
Tā bā bu dé kǎoshì kuài diǎn jiéshù.
She longs for the exam to end quickly.

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