坐立难安

坐立難安
zuòlìnán'ān
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 unable to sit still or stand calmly
  2. 2 fidgety from anxiety
  3. 3 on edge
  4. 4 restless and uneasy

Examples

Děngdài miànshì jiéguǒ shí, tā zuòlìnán'ān.
Waiting for the interview result, he was unable to sit still.
Kàn dào nǚ'ér chíchí méi huí jiā, māma zuòlìnán'ān.
Seeing that her daughter still hadn't come home, the mother was on edge.

Tips

usage
Describes anxious physical restlessness — pacing, shifting in your seat, can't focus. Compare 坐立不安 (zuòlìbù'ān), the more common variant; the two are interchangeable. Often follows worry verbs: 焦急 (jiāojí de), 担心 (dānxīn de).
memory
Reads top to bottom: 'sit' + 'stand' + 'hard' + 'be at ease'. 'Whether sitting or standing, hard to be at peace' — a perfect picture of anxiety.

Stroke Order

zuò
nán
ān