大吃一惊

大吃一驚

dàchī-yījīng

idiom HSK 7-9 #6,056

Meanings

1 to be greatly shocked
2 to be taken aback

Characters

to suffer; to receive

shock; surprise

Examples

HSK 3

听到这个消息，他大吃一惊。

Tīngdào zhège xiāoxi, tā dàchī-yījīng.

He was greatly shocked when he heard the news.

HSK 4

看到成绩单，她大吃一惊。

Kàndào chéngjīdān, tā dàchī-yījīng.

She was taken aback when she saw the report card.

Tips

memory

吃 here doesn't mean 'eat' - it means 'to receive/suffer.' So 大吃一惊 = 'greatly receive a shock.' This older usage of 吃 also appears in 吃亏 (suffer a loss).

Stroke Order

大 dà

吃 chī

一 yī

惊 jīng