提心吊胆

• Pinyin: tí xīn diào dǎn
• Hanzi breakdown: 提 = to lift; 心 = heart; 吊 = to hang; 胆 = gallbladder (courage)

Meaning

To be on tenterhooks; to be anxious and fearful; to have one's heart in one's mouth.

An idiom describing a state of constant fear and anxiety. The heart is 'raised' and the gallbladder is 'suspended' — both organs associated with courage and calm. Used for worrying about potential danger or bad outcomes.

Examples

1. 等待面试结果的那几天，她整天提心吊胆，吃不下睡不着。 In the days waiting for the interview results, she was on tenterhooks, unable to eat or sleep.
2. 股市大跌，投资者们个个提心吊胆，生怕血本无归。 When the stock market crashed, investors were all anxious, fearing they'd lose everything.
3. 孩子一个人出远门，父母在家提心吊胆地等消息。 With the child traveling alone, the parents waited anxiously at home for news.

Usage Guide

Context: anxiety, worry, suspense

Tone: tense

Do Say

• 等结果的时候提心吊胆的。(Waiting for the results with heart in my mouth.)
• 别让父母提心吊胆。(Don't make your parents worry.)

Don't Say

• 用于轻微的担心 (Don't use for mild worry — it describes intense, sustained anxiety)

Origin & History

提心 means heart lifted, 吊胆 means gallbladder suspended — organs of courage both unsettled by fear.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal