Chinese word dictionary

芒刺在背

máng cì zài bèi · feeling brambles and thorns in one's back (idiom); uneasy and nervous; to be on pins and needles

Practice word

Word information

Simplified芒刺在背

Traditional芒刺在背

Pinyinmáng cì zài bèi

Part of speechDictionary

HSK 3.0Not listed

HSK 2.0Not listed

Character breakdown

Study each Hanzi separately, then return to the complete word so pronunciation, meaning, and movement stay connected.

芒máng

blade; ray; silvergrass, Miscanthus sinensis

刺cì

to stab; to prick, to irritate; to prod

在zài

at, in, on; to exist; used to indicate the present progressive tense

背bèi

back, backside; to betray, to violate

How to learn 芒刺在背

Listen once without reading, repeat the pinyin with its tones, then write every character in sequence. Finally, recall the complete meaning instead of memorizing each character as an isolated translation.

When the word appears in a sentence, check whether its part of speech and meaning match the definition shown here. Chinese words can change nuance with context.

Related vocabulary

Words with the same characters

Compare how a familiar Hanzi changes meaning inside another word.

现在xiànzài

now; at present; currently

在zài

to exist; to be alive; (of sb or sth) to be (located) at; (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress)

正在zhèngzài

to be in the process of (doing sth); to be currently ...-ing

背bēi

to be burdened; to carry on the back or shoulder; variant of 背[bei1]

背包bēibāo

knapsack; rucksack; infantry pack; field pack; blanket roll; CL:個|个[ge4]

实在shízài

really; actually; indeed; true; real; honest; dependable; (philosophy) reality