辗转反侧

輾轉反側

zhǎnzhuǎn-fǎncè

idiom

Meanings

为了明天的面试，他整夜辗转反侧，无法入睡。

Wèile míngtiān de miànshì, tā zhěngyè zhǎnzhuǎn-fǎncè, wúfǎ rùshuì.

Worrying about tomorrow's interview, he tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep.

想起她的话，我辗转反侧，一夜未眠。

Xiǎngqǐ tā dehuà, wǒ zhǎnzhuǎn-fǎncè, yí yè wèimián.

Thinking of her words, I tossed and turned, not sleeping a wink.

history

From 《诗经·周南·关雎》 (Book of Songs): 悠哉悠哉，辗转反侧 — describing a lover unable to sleep from longing. One of the oldest and most cited Chinese idioms.

辗 zhǎn

转 zhuǎn

反 fǎn

侧 cè