九回肠

九迴腸

jiǔhuícháng

idiom

Meanings

1 guts coiling nine times
2 tangled inner anguish
3 profound, recurring grief or anxiety

Characters

nine, many times

turn, circle back

Examples

HSK 7-9

一想起往事，他便九回肠，难以入眠。

Yī xiǎngqǐ wǎngshì, tā biàn jiǔhuícháng, nányǐ rùmián.

Whenever the old days came to mind, his insides churned and he couldn't sleep.

HSK 7-9

这首曲子听得人九回肠。

Zhè shǒu qǔzi tīng de rén jiǔhuícháng.

The melody twists the heart into knots.

HSK 7-9

离别之情，九回肠而不能解。

Líbié zhī qíng, jiǔhuícháng ér bùnéng jiě.

The ache of parting coils through the gut and won't unwind.

Tips

culture

Chinese associates emotion with the gut rather than the heart: 肠 (intestines) is the seat of grief. 断肠 = heartbroken, 九回肠 = guts churning nine times over. Feng Yansi's ci line 九回肠，双脸泪 paired the image with streaming tears.

Stroke Order

九 jiǔ

回 huí

肠 cháng