tí提raisexīn心heartdiào吊suspenddǎn胆gallbladder
To be in suspense; to have one's heart in one's mouth; to be very scared or apprehensive.
Literal meaning
raise (提) — heart (心) — suspend (吊) — gallbladder (胆)
Origin
A classical four-character phrase describing extreme anxiety or fear.
Examples
Měi每cì次zuò坐fēi飞jī机wǒ我dōu都tí提xīn心diào吊dǎn胆de的。
Every time I fly, I'm always on pins and needles.
Kǎo考shì试qián前，tā他zǒng总shì是tí提xīn心diào吊dǎn胆。
Before exams, he's always very anxious.
Usage & nuances
Often used to describe a state of constant worry or fear about something.
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