Chinese word

心有余悸

Pronunciation

Pinyinxīn yǒu yú jì

Meaning

  • idiomstill shaken

Example

看完那部电影后，她仍然心有余悸。kàn wán nà bù diàn yǐng hòu tā réng rán xīn yǒu yú jì

After watching the movie, she was still shaken.

Illustration for 心有余悸 (still shaken)

More examples

经历那次地震后，他总是心有余悸。jīng lì nà cì dì zhèn hòu tā zǒng shì xīn yǒu yú jì

After that earthquake, he was always uneasy.

Core concept

Fear from a frightening experience lingers in the mind, leaving it unable to settle.

Common phrases

  • 经历某事后心有余悸jīng lì mǒu shì hòu xīn yǒu yú jì

    still shaken after an experience

  • 总是心有余悸zǒng shì xīn yǒu yú jì

    always uneasy

Similar words

惊魂未定jīng hún wèi dìng: Still unable to calm down after a sudden fright or shock.

Definition in Chinese

经历可怕的事情后，内心仍然留有未消的惊恐或不安。jīng lì kě pà de shì qíng hòu nèi xīn réng rán liú yǒu wèi xiāo de jīng kǒng huò bù ān

Word origin

心 (xīn, "heart") + 有 (yǒu, "have") + 余 (yú, "remaining") + 悸 (jì, "fearful trembling") presents a heart that still holds a leftover tremor, giving the idiom its sense of lingering alarm.

Usage tips

  • The idiom has a stronger, more vivid tone than ordinary words for worry, so it fits a serious scare better than a small everyday concern.

Other meanings

  • still uneasyidiom

Word lists with this word