心如火焚 xīn rú huǒ fén Heart like fire

Explanation

形容心里焦急万分，如同火烧一样。

Describes a feeling of extreme anxiety and impatience, as if one's heart were burning.

Origin Story

话说唐朝时期，有一个名叫李白的诗人，他年轻的时候，怀揣着满腔抱负，千里迢迢来到长安，想要参加科举考试，实现自己的政治理想。可是，屡试不第，一次又一次的落榜，让他心如火焚。他常常独自一人坐在长安的街头，看着熙熙攘攘的人群，看着川流不息的车马，心中充满了失落和无奈。他感觉自己就像一颗飘荡在江河上的孤舟，找不到方向，找不到归宿。这时，一位老和尚走到他面前，给了他一句劝慰的话：人生不如意事十之八九，要学会坦然面对。

huà shuō táng cháo shíqí, yǒu yīgè míng jiào lǐ bái de shī rén, tā niánqīng de shíhòu, huáicuí zhe mǎn qiāng bàofù, qiānlǐ tiáo tiáo lái dào cháng'ān, xiǎng yào cānjiā kējǔ kǎoshì, shíxiàn zìjǐ de zhèngzhì lǐxiǎng. kěshì, lǚshì bù dì, yī cì yī cì de luò bǎng, ràng tā xīn rú huǒ fén. tā cháng cháng dú zì yī rén zuò zài cháng'ān de jiētóu, kànzhe xīxī rǎng rǎng de rénqún, kànzhe chuānliú bùxī de chē mǎ, xīnzhōng chōngmǎn le shīluò hé wú nài. tā gǎnjué zìjǐ jiù xiàng yī kē piāodàng zài jiāng hé shàng de gū zhōu, zhǎo bù dào fāngxiàng, zhǎo bù dào guīsù. zhè shí, yī wèi lǎo héshang zǒu dào tā miàn qián, gěi le tā yījù quànwèi de huà: rénshēng bù rúyì shì shí zhī bā jiǔ, yào xuéhuì tǎnrán miànduì.

In the Tang Dynasty, there was a poet named Li Bai. When he was young, he came to Chang'an from afar with great ambitions and wanted to take the imperial examinations to achieve his political ideals. However, he failed again and again. His repeated failures made him anxious and restless. He often sat alone in the streets of Chang'an, watching the bustling crowds and endless streams of carriages and horses, filled with disappointment and helplessness. He felt like a lonely boat drifting on a river, without direction or destination. At this moment, an old monk approached him and comforted him by saying, 'Life's disappointments are nine out of ten; learn to face them calmly.'

Usage

常用作谓语、定语；形容心里焦急万分。

cháng yòng zuò wèiyǔ, dìngyǔ; xiángróng xīn lǐ jiāojí wàn fēn.

Often used as a predicate or attributive; describes a feeling of extreme anxiety.

Examples

• 他的心情心如火焚，怎么也平静不下来。

  tā de xīnqíng xīn rú huǒ fén, zěnme yě píngjìng bù xiàlái.

  His heart was burning with anxiety, and he couldn't calm down.

• 等候消息的日子里，他心如火焚，坐立不安。

  děnghòu xiāoxi de rìzi lǐ, tā xīn rú huǒ fén, zuòlì bù'ān

  During the days of waiting for news, his heart was like a burning fire, making him restless and anxious.

Related Idioms

• 心急如焚

• 坐立不安

Opposite Idioms

• 心平气和

• 泰然自若