每天成语
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按捺不住

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: àn nà bù zhù
  • English Translation: Unable to restrain oneself / Unable to contain (one's emotions)
  • Idiom Composition: 「按捺」（To restrain, suppress, or press down (specifically regarding emotions or impulses).）＋「不」（Not (used here as part of a potential complement to indicate inability).）＋「住」（To hold firm or keep in place (indicating the result of the action of pressing down).）
  • Meaning: To be unable to suppress or control strong emotions such as joy, anger, or curiosity, causing them to burst forth despite attempts at restraint.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「按捺不住」 contains the following nuances:

  • Emotional Overflow: This phrase implies more than just a lack of patience; it suggests a powerful surge of emotion from within that exceeds the limits of one's willpower or reason.
  • Versatile Application: Unlike some idioms that are strictly positive or negative, 按捺不住 (àn nà bù zhù) can be applied to any intense feeling, including joy, anger, curiosity, or sudden impulses.

3. Usage

「按捺不住」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Joy and Excitement: Used when hearing good news or just before a highly anticipated event, describing a state of being too thrilled to stay still.
    • Example:「听到获奖的消息，他按捺不住内心的喜悦，大声欢呼起来。」
      （Upon hearing the news of the award, he could not contain his inner joy and began to cheer loudly.)
  • Anger and Frustration: Used when one is treated unfairly or provoked, and their anger reaches a breaking point.
    • Example:「面对对方的无理指责，他终于按捺不住心中的怒火，拍案而起。」
      （Faced with the other party's unreasonable accusations, he finally could not hold back his anger and slammed his hand on the table as he stood up.)
  • Curiosity and Impulse: Used when driven by a strong urge to discover a secret or try something new.
    • Example:「看着那个神秘的盒子，孩子按捺不住好奇心，偷偷打开了一条缝。」
      （Looking at the mysterious box, the child could not resist their curiosity and secretly peeked through a small crack.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 比赛还没开始，观众们就已经按捺不住激动的心情了。
    （Even though the match hadn't started yet, the spectators were already unable to restrain their excitement.）
  2. 虽然我知道应该保持冷静，但还是按捺不住想要反驳的冲动。
    （Although I knew I should stay calm, I still could not suppress the urge to talk back.）
  3. 久别重逢，两人都按捺不住激动的泪水。
    （Reunited after a long separation, the two could not hold back their tears of emotion.）
  4. 看到不公正的事情，正直的人总是按捺不住要站出来说话。
    （When seeing injustice, an honest person cannot help but stand up and speak out.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • This idiom appears in the Ming Dynasty (明朝) short story collection Stories to Caution the World (警世通言), specifically in the famous tale 'The White Maiden Locked for Eternity in the Leifeng Pagoda' (白娘子永镇雷峰塔). It is used to describe the White Snake spirit's inability to restrain her feelings for the mortal Xu Xian (许仙).
  • The structure of the idiom is a classic example of a potential complement. 按捺 (àn nà) means to press down with the hand, which metaphorically refers to 'suppressing' a feeling. The suffix 不住 (bù zhù) indicates that the action of 'holding' or 'fixing' something in place is unsuccessful.
  • While you may occasionally see it written as 按纳不住 (àn nà bù zhù) in older texts, the version using the 'hand' radical (按捺不住) is the standard modern form.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

The idiom 按捺不住 (àn nà bù zhù) describes a state where internal feelings or impulses become so powerful that they overcome one's self-control. It is frequently used in the pattern '按捺不住 + [Emotion]' to depict a vivid, human moment of emotional overflow, whether positive or negative.

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Level 1

Idiom Essay

àn nà bù zhù
按捺不住
Unable to Restrain Oneself
shēng huó生活zhōng中zǒng总yǒu有yī xiē一些shí kè时刻，wǒ men我们xiǎng想ràng让zì jǐ自己kàn qǐ lái看起来píng jìng平静yì diǎn一点，dé tǐ得体yì diǎn一点。

There are always moments in life when we want to appear calm and composed.

bǐ rú比如，nǐ你gāng gāng刚刚dé zhī得知zì jǐ自己tōng guò通过le了yí gè一个fēi cháng非常nán难de的kǎo shì考试，xīn lǐ心里gāo xìng高兴dé得xiǎng想dà jiào大叫，dàn但zài在bàn gōng shì办公室lǐ里，nǐ你hái还yào要nǔ lì努力zhuāng zuò装作ruò wú qí shì若无其事；huò zhě或者，zài在yí gè一个fēi cháng非常ān jìng安静de的tú shū guǎn图书馆，nǐ你tū rán突然kàn dào看到shǒu jī手机shàng上fā lái发来yī tiáo一条tè bié特别hǎo xiào好笑de的xìn xī信息，nǐ你pīn mìng拼命mǐn zhe zuǐ抿着嘴，liǎn脸dōu都biē hóng憋红le了，jiù shì就是wèi le为了bù不ràng让zì jǐ自己xiào chū shēng笑出声lái来。

For example, you just found out you passed a very difficult exam and want to scream with joy, but in the office, you try to act as if nothing happened; or in a quiet library, you see a hilarious message on your phone and press your lips together until your face turns red just to keep from laughing out loud.

zhè zhǒng这种shēn tǐ身体hé和xīn lǐ心理dōu都zài在àn àn暗暗“yòng lì用力”de的gǎn jué感觉，zhōng wén中文lǐ里yǒu有yí gè一个fēi cháng非常shēng dòng生动de的chéng yǔ成语，jiào叫“àn nà bù zhù按捺不住”。

This feeling of physical and mental effort to hold back is captured by a vivid Chinese idiom: 按捺不住.

zhè ge这个cí词de的huà miàn gǎn画面感hěn很qiáng强，shèn zhì甚至dài带zhe着yì diǎn一点dòng zuò动作de的zhāng lì张力。

This phrase has a strong sense of imagery, even carrying a bit of physical tension.

“àn按”hé和“nà捺”，zhè这liǎng两gè个zì字yuán běn原本de的yì si意思，dōu都shì是yòng用shǒu手xiàng xià向下yā压。

The characters 按 and 捺 originally both meant to press down with the hand.

xiǎng xiàng想象yī xià一下，nǐ你shì tú试图yòng用shǒu手àn zhù按住yí gè一个zài在shuǐ水lǐ里bù tíng不停wǎng往shàng上tiào跳de的pí qiú皮球，huò zhě或者shì tú试图guān shàng关上yí gè一个lǐ miàn里面zhuāng mǎn装满le了dōng xī东西、kuài yào快要zhà kāi炸开de的xiāng zi箱子。

Imagine trying to press down a ball that keeps jumping up in the water, or trying to close a suitcase so full it is about to burst.

ér而“bú zhù不住”，jiù shì就是jié guǒ结果——nǐ你àn bú zhù按不住le了，tā它zhōng yú终于hái shì还是tiào跳chū lái出来le了。

And 不住 is the result—you cannot hold it down, and it finally pops out.

“àn nà bù zhù按捺不住”zuì最yǒu yì si有意思de的dì fāng地方，qí shí其实bù不zài yú在于zuì hòu最后de的bào fā爆发，ér而zài yú在于qián miàn前面nà ge那个“rěn忍”de的guò chéng过程。

The most interesting part of 按捺不住 is not the final outburst, but the process of enduring that precedes it.

tā它àn shì暗示le了，nǐ你qí shí其实yǐ jīng已经nǔ lì努力guò过le了。

It implies that you have actually tried your best.

nǐ你de的lǐ zhì理智zài在gào sù告诉nǐ你：yào要lěng jìng冷静，yào要děng dài等待，bú yào不要chōng dòng冲动。

Your reason tells you: stay calm, wait, do not be impulsive.

kě shì可是，xīn lǐ心里de的nà那gǔ股qíng xù情绪shí zài实在tài太qiáng强le了，tā它bǐ比nǐ你de的lǐ zhì理智gèng更yǒu有lì liàng力量。

However, the emotion in your heart is simply too strong; it has more power than your reason.

zhè这gǔ股lì liàng力量，kě néng可能shì是fèn nù愤怒。

This power might be anger.

dāng当kàn dào看到bù不gōng píng公平de的shì qíng事情fā shēng发生，wú lùn无论bié rén别人zěn me怎么quàn劝，nǐ你dōu都wú fǎ无法zài再bǎo chí保持chén mò沉默。

When seeing something unfair happen, no matter how others advise you, you can no longer remain silent.

dàn但zhè这gǔ股lì liàng力量，gèng更duō多shí hòu时候shì是jù dà巨大de的xǐ yuè喜悦huò zhě或者qī dài期待。

But more often, this power is a sense of immense joy or anticipation.

yě xǔ也许shì是jiàn dào见到le了xǔ jiǔ许久wèi未jiàn见de的lǎo péng yǒu老朋友，hái还méi没děng等duì fāng对方zǒu jìn走近，nǐ你jiù就yǐ jīng已经chōng冲le了guò qù过去；yě xǔ也许shì是xiǎng想duì对yí gè一个rén人biǎo dá表达ài yì爱意，nà xiē那些huà话zài在xīn lǐ心里cáng藏le了hěn jiǔ很久，zhōng yú终于zài在mǒu yī kè某一刻tuō kǒu ér chū脱口而出。

Perhaps it is seeing an old friend after a long time; before they even get close, you have already rushed over. Or perhaps it is wanting to express love to someone; those words hidden in your heart for so long finally slip out at a certain moment.

wǒ men我们cháng常shuō说chéng nián rén成年人yào要xué huì学会kòng zhì控制qíng xù情绪。

We often say that adults should learn to control their emotions.

dàn但“àn nà bù zhù按捺不住”tí xǐng提醒wǒ men我们，qíng xù情绪shì是yǒu有néng liàng能量de的，tā它shì是huó活de的。

But 按捺不住 reminds us that emotions have energy; they are alive.

dāng当tā它qiáng强dào到yí dìng一定chéng dù程度shí时，tā它huì会chōng pò冲破wǒ men我们gěi给zì jǐ自己shè xià设下de的fáng xiàn防线。

When they reach a certain strength, they break through the defenses we set for ourselves.

zhè这bìng并bú shì不是yī jiàn一件huài shì坏事。

This is not a bad thing.

xiāng fǎn相反，zhè这wǎng wǎng往往shì是wǒ men我们zuì最zhēn shí真实、zuì最xiān huó鲜活de的shí kè时刻。

On the contrary, these are often our most authentic and vivid moments.

suǒ yǐ所以，xià cì下次dāng当nǐ你fā xiàn发现zì jǐ自己huò zhě或者bié rén别人“àn nà bù zhù按捺不住”le了，bù不xū yào需要jué de觉得gān gà尴尬。

So, next time you find yourself or someone else 按捺不住, there is no need to feel embarrassed.

yīn wèi因为zài在nà那yī kè一刻，lǐ zhì理智shū gěi输给le了qíng gǎn情感，ér而zhè这，cháng cháng常常shì是shēng huó生活zuì最dòng rén动人de的dì fāng地方。

Because in that moment, reason loses to emotion, and that is often the most touching part of life.

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