牵肠挂肚

牽腸掛肚
qiāncháng-guàdù
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 to tug at one's heart and belly
  2. 2 to be deeply worried or preoccupied (about someone or something)

Examples

HSK 4
Háizi chūménzàiwài, fùmǔ zǒngshì qiānchángguàdù.
When children are away from home, parents are always anxious about them.
HSK 4
Zhè jiàn shì ràng tā qiānchángguàdù, zhěngyè shuì bù zháo.
This matter gnawed at him so badly he couldn't sleep all night.
HSK 6
Tā duì yuǎnfāng de nǚ'ér zǒng yǒuzhǒng qiānchángguàdù de gǎnjué.
She always felt a gnawing worry for her daughter far away.

Tips

memory
Literally 'pulling on the intestines, hanging from the belly.' In classical Chinese the gut is the seat of deep emotion - hence the visceral 'worry-sickness' image.
usage
Reserved for genuine, drawn-out worry about loved ones or important matters - not momentary anxiety. Often paired with 思念, 担心, or 放不下.

Stroke Order

qiān
cháng
guà