迫不及待
pòbùjídài · HSK 7
too impatient to wait
⏳ 迫不及待 = press (迫) + not (不) + reach (及) + wait (待): too pressed to wait
Four-character idiom: the urgency 迫 is so strong that one cannot 不及 hold out for the 待 waiting. Used when someone acts at once rather than holding back.
不 — single pictograph; bird flying upward
Originally a pictograph in oracle bone script, traditionally interpreted as a bird flying up toward the sky and unable to come down, suggesting negation or refusal. Over time it became the standard negation word in Chinese, used before verbs and adjectives to mean 'not'.
及 — hand 又 reaching person 人
Originally a pictograph showing a hand (又) catching or reaching a person from behind, depicting the act of catching up to someone. The core meaning 'to reach' or 'to catch up to' extended to 'and' (reaching/including more items) and 'in time for'. Modern form simplifies the person and hand into connected strokes.
待 — chì 彳 (step) + 寺 sì (temple/phonetic)
待 combines the 'step' radical 彳, suggesting movement or a path, with 寺, which serves as the phonetic component. Originally it conveyed the idea of stopping along a road, which extended to 'waiting.' Over time it also took on related meanings like 'to treat' or 'to deal with' someone.