忐忑不安

tǎntè-bù'ān
idiom #27,608

Meanings

  1. 1 anxious and uneasy
  2. 2 on edge
  3. 3 restless with worry
  4. 4 in a state of turmoil

Examples

HSK 4
Tā tǎntè-bù'ān de zǒujìn le miànshì shì.
He walked into the interview room with a nervous heart.
HSK 5
Děngdài kǎoshì jiéguǒ shí, tā gǎndào tǎntè-bù'ān.
While waiting for the exam results, she felt anxious and uneasy.

Tips

memory
忐 and 忑 are two rare characters only used in this compound. Both have 心 (heart) at the bottom - one heart going up (忐), one going down (忑). Your heart going up and down = anxious!

Stroke Order

忐 tǎn
忑 tè
不 bù
安 ān