摩拳擦掌

mó quán cā zhǎng

to itch for action; to gear up eagerly

Character by character

摩mó
rub

拳quán
fists

擦cā
rub

掌zhǎng
palms

新赛季还没开始，队员们已经摩拳擦掌，准备大干一场。

The new season has not even started, and the players are already itching to get going.

Tone: neutral.

Eagerness before a contest, a fight or a big job. Often 个个摩拳擦掌 or 摩拳擦掌，跃跃欲试.

Learn this in Lesson 64 · HSK 6: 村超与体育经济 (Village leagues and the business of sport)

A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.