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tí 提 xīn 心 diào 吊 dǎn 胆

提心吊胆 tí xīn diào dǎn

on tenterhooks; filled with anxiety

Literally: lift heart hang gallbladder

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Origin

Descriptive; no single source story. Common in Ming dynasty novels such as Journey to the West.

How to use it

Predicate or adverbial; negative. Often 提心吊胆地过日子 / 让人提心吊胆.

Example sentences

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  1. 儿子还没回家，妈妈提心吊胆地等了一晚上。
    Érzi hái méi huíjiā, māma tí xīn diào dǎn de děng le yī wǎnshang.
    Her son still hadn't come home, and Mum waited anxiously all night.
    son still not return-home, mother lift heart hang gallbladder (particle) wait (particle) one evening
  2. 第一次坐飞机，他一路上都提心吊胆。
    Dì-yī cì zuò fēijī, tā yī lù shàng dōu tí xīn diào dǎn.
    On his first flight, he was on tenterhooks the whole way.
    first time sit plane, he whole road on all lift heart hang gallbladder

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