寝食难安

寢食難安
qǐnshínán'ān
idiom #30,515

Meanings

  1. 1 unable to rest or eat in peace
  2. 2 extremely worried and troubled

Examples

Tīngdào zhège xiāoxi hòu, tā qǐnshínán'ān.
After hearing the news, he could neither rest nor eat in peace.
Mǔqīn wèi érzi de bìng qǐnshínán'ān.
The mother was so worried about her son's illness that she couldn't sleep or eat.

Tips

usage
Literally 'sleep and food hard to be at ease' — describes deep anxiety that ruins both daily routines (sleeping and eating). Use for serious worry, not minor inconvenience. Compare 不下 (shí bù xià yàn, 'cannot swallow food') and 坐立不安 (zuòlì bù'ān, 'restless whether sitting or standing').

Stroke Order

qǐn
shí
nán
ān