折腾

• Pinyin: zhē teng
• Hanzi breakdown: 折 = 扌+ 斤 (to break/fold); 腾 = 月 + 券 + 马 (to gallop)

Meaning

To toss about; to torment; to go through trouble; to make a fuss over something.

Has multiple nuances: (1) physical tossing/turning, (2) causing repeated trouble or disturbance, (3) going through hardship, (4) fussing over something unnecessarily. Colloquial and expressive.

Examples

1. 他整夜翻来覆去折腾，根本睡不着觉。 He tossed and turned all night and couldn’t fall asleep at all.
2. 这个项目把团队折腾了好几个月才终于完成。 This project put the team through months of turmoil before it was finally completed.
3. 别再折腾了，就这样定下来吧。 Stop making a fuss—let’s just settle it like this.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, work, complaints

Tone: exasperated

Do Say

• 这场病把他折腾得瘦了十斤。(This illness tormented him so much that he lost ten jin.)
• 小孩子精力旺盛，一天到晚折腾个不停。(Little kids are full of energy, tossing about non-stop all day long.)

Don't Say

• 折腾困难 — 折腾 itself implies hardship; say 经历困难 or 饱受折腾

Origin & History

折 (to break/turn) + 腾 (to gallop/move energetically)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal