热锅上的蚂蚁

熱鍋上的螞蟻

règuōshàngdemǎyǐ

idiom

Meanings

1 ants on a hot pan
2 extremely anxious and unable to sit still
3 on pins and needles

Characters

Examples

HSK 2

女儿还没回家，妈妈急得像热锅上的蚂蚁。

Nǚ'ér hái méi huí jiā, māma jí de xiàng règuōshàngdemǎyǐ.

Her daughter wasn't home yet and she was frantic with worry.

HSK 3

等消息的时候，他像热锅上的蚂蚁。

Děng xiāoxi de shíhòu, tā xiàng règuōshàngdemǎyǐ.

Waiting for news, he was like an ant on a hot pan.

Tips

history

From Qing satire 《官场现形记》 chapter 2: a description of someone 同热锅上的蚂蚁一般，茶饭无心，坐立不定 - 'like an ant on a hot pan, unable to eat, unable to sit still'.

usage

Almost always used with 像 ('like') or 好似. Classic simile for anxious waiting.

Stroke Order

热 rè

锅 guō

上 shàng

的 de

蚂 mǎ

蚁 yǐ