心急如焚

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: xīn jí rú fén
• English Translation: Burning with anxiety (extremely worried)
• Idiom Composition: 「心」（Heart or mind; the seat of emotions.）＋「急」（Anxious, urgent, or hurried.）＋「如」（Like or as if; used to create a metaphor.）＋「焚」（To burn or set on fire.）
• Meaning: To be consumed by extreme anxiety or impatience, as if one's heart were being burned by fire. It describes a state of intense mental distress when facing a crisis or waiting for critical news.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「心急如焚」 contains the following nuances:

• The Peak of Impatience: As indicated by the character 焚 (fén), which means 'to burn,' this idiom represents a level of anxiety that is intense and almost unbearable.
• Internal Mental Turmoil: The focus is on the 'heart' (心 - xīn), meaning the idiom emphasizes the internal feeling of being torn apart by worry rather than just physical busyness.

3. Usage

「心急如焚」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Emergencies and Safety: Used when someone is deeply worried about the safety of family members or during a disaster.
  • Example:「孩子还没放学回家，电话也打不通，母亲心急如焚。」
    （The mother was burning with anxiety because her child hadn't come home from school yet and wasn't answering the phone.）
• Waiting for Critical News: Describes the agonizing wait for important results or life-changing news.
  • Example:「他在手术室外来回踱步，心急如焚地等待着医生的消息。」
    （He paced back and forth outside the operating room, burning with anxiety as he waited for news from the doctor.）
• Pressure to Solve Problems: Used when a deadline is approaching or a situation is deteriorating and no solution is in sight.
  • Example:「眼看交货期就要到了，机器却突然坏了，厂长急得心急如焚。」
    （With the delivery deadline fast approaching and the machinery suddenly breaking down, the factory manager was burning with anxiety.）

Additional Examples:

1. 得知家乡发生地震，在外地工作的游子们个个心急如焚。
   （Upon hearing about the earthquake in their hometown, the migrant workers were all burning with anxiety.）
2. 看着股市暴跌，许多投资者心急如焚，不知该如何是好。
   （Watching the stock market crash, many investors were burning with anxiety, not knowing what to do.）
3. 虽然心里心急如焚，但他表面上还要装作若无其事的样子。
   （Although he was burning with anxiety inside, he had to pretend as if nothing was wrong on the surface.）
4. 救援队心急如焚，希望能尽快找到被困的幸存者。
   （The rescue team was burning with anxiety, hoping to find the trapped survivors as quickly as possible.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• Intensity of the Metaphor: Because it uses the strong word 焚 (fén), this idiom is not used for trivial matters like being late for a movie. It is reserved for serious troubles or situations involving high mental stress.
• Literary Roots: The metaphor of comparing anxiety to fire is ancient in Chinese literature. Similar expressions like 心急如火 (xīn jí rú huǒ) appear in classic works such as the Romance of the Western Chamber (西厢记 - Xīxiāngjì).

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 心急火燎 (xīn jí huǒ liǎo): To be burning with impatience; slightly more colloquial than 心急如焚 (xīn jí rú fén).
  • 迫不及待 (pò bù jí dài): Too impatient to wait; can be used for both anxious worry and positive excitement.link
  • 提心吊胆 (tí xīn diào dǎn): To be in a state of anxiety and fear.link
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 从容不迫 (cóng róng bù pò): Calm, unhurried, and composed.link
  • 不慌不忙 (bù huāng bù máng): Leisurely and unexcited; taking one's time.

6. Summary

The idiom 心急如焚 (xīn jí rú fén) is used to describe a person who is overwhelmed by worry or impatience. Unlike simple haste, this phrase emphasizes the internal psychological pain and the feeling of being 'on edge' during a serious situation, using the metaphor of a heart on fire.