慌里慌张 (huāng lǐ huāng zhāng) — flustered and panicked; all in a flurry

Definition

A vivid reduplicated verb describing someone moving or acting in a flustered, panicked flurry. Pairs with 起来 (起来) to mark a sudden onset, as in 一听到就…起来.

verb
flustered and panickedall in a flurry

Examples

  • 慌里慌张，。
    Tā jīn tiān kàn qǐ lái huāng lǐ huāng zhāng de, hǎo xiàng yǒu shén me zhòng yào de shì.
    He looks flustered today, as if he has some important matter.
  • 慌里慌张，。
    Bié zhè me huāng lǐ huāng zhāng dì luàn pǎo, màn màn shuō qīng chǔ.
    Don't run around in such a fluster—speak slowly and clearly.
  • 慌里慌张。
    Tā yì tīng dào nà ge xiāo xi jiù huāng lǐ huāng zhāng qǐ lái.
    As soon as she heard that news, she became flustered.

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
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
荒
荒huāng慌huāng
Same sound today

慌 pairs 忄 (heart) with 荒, which gives the sound.

Open 慌 →

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 裡; 里 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 里 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (里, 里面) it is 裡; in others (公里) it is 里 or 裏.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衤Written in full as衣yīclothes
Sound part声符shēngfú
里
里lǐ裡lǐ
Same sound today

The form 裡 pairs 衤 (clothes) with 里 as a sound component.

Open 里 →

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
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
荒
荒huāng慌huāng
Same sound today

慌 pairs 忄 (heart) with 荒, which gives the sound.

Open 慌 →

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 張; 张 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
弓弓gōngbow
Sound part声符shēngfú
長
長cháng張zhāng
Same sound today

The traditional form 張 combines 弓, a bow, with 長, which points to the sound; the simplified 张 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 张 →

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