战战兢兢
zhàn zhàn jīng jīng
trembling with fear; with extreme caution
Character by character
战zhàn
tremble
tremble
战zhàn
tremble
tremble
兢jīng
wary
wary
兢jīng
wary
wary
Example
第一次一个人开车上高速，她战战兢兢，一路上都不敢超车。
The first time she drove on the expressway alone she was a bag of nerves and did not dare overtake the whole way.
Tone: neutral.
Usage and origin
From the Book of Songs: 战战兢兢，如临深渊，如履薄冰, “trembling and wary, as if at the edge of an abyss, as if treading on thin ice” (如履薄冰 came up in lesson 6-25). Today it describes fear or nervous care; often 战战兢兢地 + verb.
Learn this in Lesson 141 · HSK 7–9: 考驾照，抢车牌 (Driving tests and number plates)
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.
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