Chinese word

紧张

Pronunciation

Pinyinjǐn zhāng

Meaning

  • adjectivenervous

Example

明天考试我很紧张。míng tiān kǎo shì wǒ hěn jǐn zhāng

I am very nervous about tomorrow's exam.

Illustration for 紧张 (nervous)

More examples

别太紧张，放松一下。bié tài jǐn zhāng fàng sōng yí xià

Don't be too nervous; relax a little.

Core concept

A mind or body held taut by pressure, expectation, or worry, making calm and easy action difficult.

Common phrases

  • 有点儿紧张yóu diǎnr jǐn zhāng

    a little nervous

  • 越来越紧张yuè lái yuè jǐn zhāng

    increasingly nervous

  • 对面试感到紧张duì miàn shì gǎn dào jǐn zhāng

    nervous about the interview

Similar words

着急zháo jí: Feeling restless because something must be done quickly.
担心dān xīn: Feeling worried about a possible result or what may happen later.
害怕hài pà: Feeling afraid of danger, pain, or something frightening.

Definition in Chinese

因担心、期待或压力导致心里或身体处于紧绷、不易放松的状态。yīn dān xīn qī dài huò yā lì dǎo zhì xīn lǐ huò shēn tǐ chǔ yú jǐn bēng bú yì fàng sōng de zhuàng tài

Word origin

紧 (jǐn, "tight") + 张 (zhāng, "stretched") joins two physical ideas to describe tension in the body or mind.

Usage tips

  • This adjective commonly serves as the predicate after degree words such as very, really, or too, rather than after a copula, so the feeling is described directly.

Other meanings

  • anxiousadjective
  • panicverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 紧张感jǐn zhāng gǎnnervousnessnoun

Word lists with this word