惶惶不安 huáng huáng bù ān uneasy and apprehensive

Explanation

形容内心害怕，非常不安的状态。

To describe a state of inner fear and great anxiety.

Origin Story

话说唐朝时期，长安城外有一片茂密的树林，林中住着一位名叫李白的隐士。他本是位才华横溢的诗人，却因得罪权贵隐居于此。一日，他正坐在树下吟诗作画，突然听到一阵急促的马蹄声，接着便是一队官兵闯入了树林。李白心中一惊，不知发生了何事，官兵们气势汹汹，杀气腾腾，瞬间让李白惶惶不安。他想起自己得罪的那些权贵，难道是他们派人来抓自己了吗？这惶恐不安的情绪如同潮水般涌来，他握紧了手中的画笔，心跳如鼓，不知该如何是好。官兵们很快找到了他，李白闭上了眼睛，等待着命运的审判。没想到，官兵们只是路过此处，根本不是冲着他来的。李白这才长舒一口气，心中的惶惶不安也随之消散。

huàshuō Tángcháo shíqī, Cháng'ān chéng wài yǒu yī piàn màomì de shùlín, lín zhōng zhù zhe yī wèi míng jiào Lǐ Bái de yǐnshì. Tā běn shì wèi cáihuá héngyì de shīrén, què yīn dǎozèi quán guì yǐnjū yú cǐ. Yīrì, tā zhèng zuò zài shù xià yín shī zuò huà, tūrán tīngdào yī zhèn jí cù de mǎtí shēng, jiēzhe biàn shì yī duì guānbīng chuǎng rù le shùlín. Lǐ Bái xīn zhōng yī jīng, bù zhī fāshēng le héshì, guānbīng men qìshì xīngxiōng, shāqì téngténg, shùnjiān ràng Lǐ Bái huánghuáng bù'ān. Tā xǐng qǐ zìjǐ dǎozèi de nàxiē quán guì, nándào shì tāmen pàirén lái zhuā zìjǐ le ma? Zhè huángkǒng bù'ān de qíngxù rútóng cháoshǔi bān yǒng lái, tā wò jǐn le shǒu zhōng de huàbǐ, xīntiào rú gǔ, bù zhī gāi hé rú shì hǎo. Guānbīng men hěn kuài zhǎodào le tā, Lǐ Bái bì shang le yǎnjīng, děngdài zhe mìngyùn de shěnpàn. Méi xiǎngdào, guānbīng men zhǐshì lùguò cǐchù, gēnběn bù shì chōngzhe tā lái de. Lǐ Bái cái cèi cháng shū yī kǒuqì, xīn zhōng de huánghuáng bù'ān yě zhī suí xiāosàn.

During the Tang Dynasty, a reclusive scholar named Li Bai lived in a dense forest outside Chang'an. Originally a gifted poet, he had retreated there after offending powerful officials. One day, while sitting under a tree composing poetry and painting, he suddenly heard the sound of galloping horses, followed by a group of soldiers bursting into the forest. Li Bai was startled, unsure what was happening. The soldiers were aggressive, creating a tense atmosphere that filled Li Bai with anxiety. He recalled the powerful figures he had offended; were they sending people to arrest him? This anxious feeling surged like a tide, his hand gripping his brush tightly, his heart pounding, uncertain of what to do. The soldiers quickly found him, and Li Bai closed his eyes, awaiting his fate. Unexpectedly, the soldiers were just passing through, not targeting him. Li Bai breathed a sigh of relief, and the anxiety faded away.

Usage

用于描写人内心害怕、不安的状态，常用于形容遇到危险、困境或不好的消息时的心理感受。

yòng yú miáoxiě rén nèixīn hàipà, bù'ān de zhuàngtài, cháng yòng yú xiángróng yùdào wēixiǎn, kùnjìng huò bù hǎo de xiāoxi huò shí de xīnlǐ gǎnshòu

Used to describe a state of inner fear and unease, often used to describe the psychological feeling of encountering danger, difficulties, or bad news.

Examples

• 战乱时期，百姓惶惶不安，四处逃难。

  zhànluàn shíqí, bǎixìng huánghuáng bù'ān, sìchù táonàn

  During the war, people were uneasy, fleeing everywhere.

• 听到噩耗，他惶惶不安，整夜睡不着觉。

  tīngdào èhào, tā huánghuáng bù'ān, zhěngyè shuìbuzháojiào

  Upon hearing the bad news, he was restless and unable to sleep all night.

• 考试临近，他惶惶不安，复习进度缓慢。

  kǎoshì línjìn, tā huánghuáng bù'ān, fùxí jìndù mànmàn

  With the exam approaching, he was uneasy, and his review progress was slow.

Related Idioms

• 忐忑不安

• 提心吊胆

Opposite Idioms

• 心安理得

• 泰然自若