Tā zhànzhànjīngjīng de kāikǒu wèn dào: 'Wǒ tōngguò kǎoshì le ma?'
She asked nervously, 'Did I pass the exam?'
Tips
history
战战兢兢 comes from the Book of Songs (《诗经》) and originally described a minister serving the king with extreme caution, as though standing on thin ice. Today it describes nervousness or excessive caution.
memory
战 means 'battle' and 兢 means 'cautious' — so the reduplicated form conveys shaking like you're in battle and walking on eggshells at the same time.
