坐立难安

坐立難安
zuòlì-nán'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

HSK 5
Děngdài miànshì jiéguǒ shí, tā zuòlìnán'ān.
Waiting for the interview result, he was unable to sit still.
HSK 7-9
Kàndào 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