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提心吊胆 (tí xīn diào dǎn) — to be on tenterhooks; to be in a state of extreme fear or anxiety

Definition

A chengyu describing prolonged worry and fear while waiting for something bad — 'on tenterhooks'. Unlike 惊慌失措 (panic when disaster strikes), this is the drawn-out anxiety beforehand.

phrase
to be on tenterhooksto be in a state of extreme fear or anxiety

Examples

  • ，提心吊胆。
    Kǎo shì jié guǒ hái méi gōng bù, tóng xué men dōu tí xīn diào dǎn de.
    The exam results haven't been announced yet, and all the students are on edge.
  • 提心吊胆。
    Tā měi tiān tí xīn diào dǎn dì děng zhe yī shēng diàn huà.
    He anxiously waits for the doctor's call every day.
  • 提心吊胆，。
    Nà duàn rì zi tā guò dé tí xīn diào dǎn, shēng pà bèi fā xiàn.
    During those days she lived in constant fear, terrified of being discovered.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

提心lift the heart
提tílift心xīnheart
动宾Verb + object
吊胆hang the gall
吊diàohang胆dǎngall
动宾Verb + object

提心 (lift the heart) and 吊胆 (hang the gall) together picture a state of fear and anxiety.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
是
是shì提tí
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

提 shows 扌 (hand) beside 是, which gives the pronunciation.

Open 提 →

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

The shape of 心 comes from a drawing of a heart, now highly stylized.

Open 心 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 吊 →

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
⺼Written in full as肉ròubody part
Sound part声符shēngfú
旦
旦dàn胆dǎn
Same sound today

胆 combines ⺼, written as 肉 when full, for a body part, with 旦 as a sound part.

Open 胆 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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