Chinese Conversation · Level 80
91 words
Chinese word
惊弓之鸟
Pronunciation
Pinyinjīng gōng zhī niǎo
Meaning
- idioma jumpy person
Example
听到动静，他就像个惊弓之鸟。tīng dào dòng jìng tā jiù xiàng gè jīng gōng zhī niǎo
When he heard a noise, he was as jumpy as a startled bird.
More examples
考试出错后，她像惊弓之鸟一样，手足无措。kǎo shì chū cuò hòu tā xiàng jīng gōng zhī niǎo yí yàng shǒu zú wú cuò
After making a mistake on the exam, she was like a jumpy person, not knowing what to do.
Core concept
A frightened person reacts to a small sign of danger as if a serious threat were returning.
Common phrases
像惊弓之鸟一样xiàng jīng gōng zhī niǎo yí yàng
like a jumpy person
被吓得像个惊弓之鸟bèi xià de xiàng gè jīng gōng zhī niǎo
scared like a jumpy person
Similar words
提心吊胆tí xīn diào dǎn: Being anxious and unsettled because something bad might happen.
心惊胆战xīn jīng dǎn zhàn: Being deeply frightened and shocked, almost too afraid to move.
胆小如鼠dán xiǎo rú shǔ: Having a timid nature and avoiding risks or hard situations.
见风丧胆jiàn fēng sàng dǎn: Losing all bravery when faced with even a small hint of danger.
Definition in Chinese
因过去的惊吓，遇到类似情况就容易受惊或过度反应的人。yīn guò qù de jīng xià yù dào lèi sì qíng kuàng jiù róng yì shòu jīng huò guò dù fǎn yìng de rén
Word origin
惊 (jīng, "startled") + 弓 (gōng, "bow") + 之 (zhī, "of") + 鸟 (niǎo, "bird") pictures a bird frightened again by a bow-related sound.
Usage tips
- In everyday Chinese, this idiom can sound critical when aimed directly at someone, so it often suits self-description or comments about another person.
Other meanings
- a cowardidiom
Opposites
- 胆大包天dǎn dà bāo tiānextremely boldidiom