📖 Meaning
This idiom describes being extremely frightened or terrified, to the point where one's heart pounds and one trembles with fear. The character 战 here is interchangeable with 颤, meaning to shake or quiver. It conveys a deep, visceral sense of dread and alarm.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the Yuan dynasty play 'Bi Tao Hua' (碧桃花) by an anonymous author. In the third act, a character expresses that they cannot help but feel their heart seized with fear and their body trembling, forcing themselves to put on a smiling face while anxiously moving back and forth. The expression vividly captures the experience of being gripped by terror while trying to maintain composure. Over time, it became a common idiom for describing intense fear and apprehension.
💡 Example Usage
听到那声巨响，她心惊胆战，半天说不出话来。
Hearing that loud crash, she was terrified and couldn't speak for a long while.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 心惊胆战
- Pinyin: xīn jīng dǎn zhàn
- Literal Translation: heart, startled, gall, trembling
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4