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心急如焚 (xīn jí rú fén) — extremely anxious; burning with impatience or worry

Definition

A chengyu meaning 'so anxious it feels like the heart is on fire' — describes a personal emotional state, not the urgency of a task (that's 刻不容缓) or restless eagerness to act (迫不及待).

phrase
extremely anxiousburning with impatience or worry

Examples

  • ，心急如焚。
    Kǎo shì jié guǒ hái méi chū lái, tā xīn jí rú fén.
    The exam results haven't come out yet, and he's extremely anxious.
  • ，心急如焚。
    Kàn dào hái zi fā shāo, mā ma xīn jí rú fén.
    Seeing the child with a fever, the mother was burning with worry.
  • ，，心急如焚。
    Huǒ chē kuài kāi le, tā hái méi dào, wǒ xīn jí rú fén.
    The train is about to leave and he hasn't arrived yet — I'm extremely anxious.
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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