迫不及待 (pò bù jí dài) — can't wait, impatient (to do something)

Definition

Set phrase for an eager 'can't wait' feeling — the urge to do something right now. Closer to 急切 (eager) than to 焦躁 (irritable/restless).

phrase

can't waitimpatient (to do something)

迫不及待。
Tā pò bù jí dài dì dǎ kāi le nà fēng xìn.
He couldn't wait to open that letter.
迫不及待。
Wǒ men pò bù jí dài dì xiǎng zhī dào bǐ sài jié guǒ.
We can't wait to find out the result of the competition.
迫不及待。
Hái zi men pò bù jí dài xiǎng yào chāi kāi lǐ wù.
The children are impatient to unwrap the gifts.

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.

辶白迫

Meaning part形符xíngfú

辶Written in full as辵chuò

Sound part声符shēngfú

白

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The form 迫 pairs the walking radical 辶 (written in full as 辵) with 白, which gives the sound.

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

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

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

及 pairs 人 (person) with 又 (hand), showing a hand grabbing a person.

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

彳寺待

Meaning part形符xíngfú

彳彳chì

Sound part声符shēngfú

寺

寺sì待dài

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

待 is built from 彳 on the left and 寺 on the right; 彳 is tied to the meaning, and 寺 gives the sound.

Appears in