Chinese word

马不停蹄

Pronunciation

Pinyinmǎ bù tíng tí

Meaning

  • idiomnonstop

Example

她昨天马不停蹄地跑了好几个地方。tā zuó tiān mǎ bù tíng tí dì pǎo le háo jǐ gè dì fāng

Yesterday, she went to several places nonstop.

Illustration for 马不停蹄 (nonstop)

More examples

最近项目紧张，他马不停蹄地加班到深夜。zuì jìn xiàng mù jǐn zhāng tā mǎ bù tíng tí dì jiā bān dào shēn yè

The project has been demanding lately, so he has been working overtime nonstop until late at night.

Core concept

A horse keeps moving with its hooves never pausing, creating a picture of activity that continues with almost no breaks.

Common phrases

  • 马不停蹄地加班mǎ bù tíng tí dì jiā bān

    work overtime nonstop

  • 马不停蹄地出差mǎ bù tíng tí dì chū chāi

    go on business trips nonstop

  • 马不停蹄地赶时间mǎ bù tíng tí dì gǎn shí jiān

    hurry to beat the clock

Similar words

接连不断jiē lián bú duàn: Following continuously, with each event coming after the last.
连轴转lián zhóu zhuǎn: Staying busy at work with hardly any chance to take a break.
夜以继日yè yǐ jì rì: Carrying on day and night without taking time to rest.
日夜兼程rì yè jiān chéng: Hurrying onward by using both daytime and nighttime for the journey.

Definition in Chinese

用来形容某人或某事连续不断地进行，几乎没有停顿和休息。yòng lái xíng róng mǒu rén huò mǒu shì lián xù bú duàn dì jìn xíng jī hū méi yǒu tíng dùn hé xiū xī

Word origin

马 (mǎ, "horse") + 不 (bù, "not") + 停 (tíng, "stop") + 蹄 (tí, "hoof") form the literal image of a horse that never stops its hooves, which becomes a metaphor for continuous activity.

Usage tips

  • In conversation, this idiom often comes before an action and highlights a run of tasks or trips rather than a single burst of speed.

Other meanings

  • be constantly on the goidiom

Word lists with this word