迫不及待
- Literal
- pressed, unable to wait in time
- Figurative
- So impatient that one cannot wait a moment longer; itching to do something right away.
Where does 迫不及待 come from?
It does not stem from an anecdote or legend; it is a common set phrase. Its structure is transparent: 迫 ("to press, urge") conveys the haste and 待 ("to wait") the act that haste will not allow, with 不及 ("not in time, falling short of") in between — that is, "so pressed that one cannot wait in time." It is documented in the Qing-dynasty novel 《镜花缘》 by Li Ruzhen (ch. 6): "该仙子何以迫不及待".
Source (出处): 《镜花缘》
How is 迫不及待 used? Two examples
- 快递刚到，他就迫不及待地拆开了包裹。
The moment the delivery arrived, he tore open the parcel, unable to wait.
- 听到放假的消息，孩子们迫不及待地跑出了教室。
On hearing the news of the holiday, the children dashed out of the classroom, unable to wait a second.
In Wanyu, all 400 chengyu have audio on every sentence, and you can save them to your decks and review them with spaced repetition. Free.
