辗转反侧 — “Toss and turn; restless”
辗转反侧 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to toss and turn in bed, unable to sleep due to anxiety, worry, or longing; to be restless with a troubled mind”. Literally, “Toss and turn; restless”.
辗转反侧 Pronunciation and Pinyin
辗转反侧 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 辗转反侧
Origin and Story of 辗转反侧
Long, long ago, in a river bend surrounded by green mountains, there was a beautiful small island. On this island lived a lovely maiden.
One day, a young man was rowing his boat past the island. He heard the maiden's beautiful and melodious singing, which captivated him. Lying in his boat, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep, his mind full of thoughts about her.
He then devised many ways to approach the maiden, and eventually, they became husband and wife.
Idioms Related to 辗转反侧
Synonyms of 辗转反侧
Antonyms of 辗转反侧
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Open the tool →Questions about 辗转反侧
What does 辗转反侧 mean?
辗转反侧 (zhǎn zhuǎn fǎn cè) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to toss and turn in bed, unable to sleep due to anxiety, worry, or longing; to be restless with a troubled mind”.
How do you pronounce 辗转反侧?
辗转反侧 is pronounced zhǎn zhuǎn fǎn cè in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 辗转反侧 literally mean?
Literally, 辗转反侧 means “Toss and turn; restless”. It is used to mean “to toss and turn in bed, unable to sleep due to anxiety, worry, or longing; to be restless with a troubled mind”.
Where does 辗转反侧 come from?
辗转反侧 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 辗转反侧?
辗转：翻来复去；反侧：反复。翻来复去，睡不着觉。形容心里有所思念或心事重重。