Definition
心惊胆颤 is a four-character idiom (chengyu) meaning 'to be petrified with fear' or 'to tremble in terror'. The literal image is 'heart frightened, gall bladder quivers' — a vivid Chinese way to describe extreme fright. It's interchangeable with the more common variant 心惊胆战 (xīn jīng dǎn zhàn). Use it in narrative or dramatic contexts to describe a person's intense fear or nervousness.
l
to be seized with terrorto tremble in fear
Examples
- ，心惊胆颤。Tīng dào nà ge kǒngbù de gùshì, tā xià de xīn jīng dǎn chàn.Hearing that horror story, she was scared out of her wits.
- ，心惊胆颤。Zǒu zài nà tiáo qīhēi de lù shàng, wǒ bùjīn xīn jīng dǎn chàn.Walking down that pitch-black road, I couldn't help trembling with fear.
- ，心惊胆颤。Tā zhàn zài xuányá biān shàng, gǎndào xīn jīng dǎn chàn.Standing on the edge of the cliff, he felt his heart pound with terror.
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