zhāojí: 着急 - Worried, Anxious, Impatient

• Keywords: zhaoji, zhao ji meaning, 着急, anxious in Chinese, worried in Chinese, impatient in Chinese, how to use zhaoji, don't worry in Chinese, HSK 3 vocabulary, Chinese emotions
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word 着急 (zhāojí), which describes the common feeling of being worried, anxious, or impatient, especially when facing a deadline or an unresolved problem. This guide breaks down its meaning, cultural context, and practical usage with over 10 example sentences, helping you understand when to feel 着急 and how to tell others “别着急” (bié zhāojí - don't worry).

• Pinyin (with tone marks): zhāojí
• Part of Speech: Verb / Adjective
• HSK Level: HSK 3
• Concise Definition: To feel worried, anxious, or impatient due to a sense of urgency.
• In a Nutshell: 着急 (zhāojí) is that antsy, agitated feeling you get when you're running late for a flight, waiting for an important phone call, or can't figure out a pressing problem. It's a combination of worry and impatience. It's not a permanent state of anxiety, but a temporary, situational reaction to something that needs to be resolved soon.

• 着 (zháo): This character has multiple pronunciations and meanings. In this context, it's pronounced zháo and means “to be affected by,” “to catch (a cold, a fire),” or “to feel.” It implies an external trigger causing an internal state.
• 急 (jí): This character means “urgent,” “impatient,” or “anxious.” The character itself originally contained the heart radical (心), signifying that this is a feeling that comes from the heart. It's all about haste and urgency.

Putting them together, 着急 (zhāojí) literally means “to be affected by urgency.” This perfectly captures the essence of the word: an external situation (like a looming deadline) causes you to “catch” a feeling of internal anxiety and impatience.

着急 (zhāojí) is a cornerstone of daily emotional expression in China. In a culture that often values efficiency, timeliness, and problem-solving, the feeling of `着急` is a common and understandable reaction to delays or obstacles. A useful comparison for Western learners is to contrast 着急 (zhāojí) with the English concept of “anxiety.”

• 着急 (zhāojí) is almost always situational and temporary. You are `着急` because your train is late, or because your child has a fever. The feeling is directly tied to a specific, external problem that has a time component.
• “Anxiety” in English can be similar, but it can also refer to a more chronic, free-floating psychological state (what Chinese would call 焦虑 (jiāolǜ)). You wouldn't typically say you have a “着急 disorder.”

Because it's such a common feeling, comforting someone by saying 别着急 (bié zhāojí), which means “Don't worry,” “Take it easy,” or “Take your time,” is an extremely frequent and important social gesture. It's a way to soothe frayed nerves, show support, and restore a sense of calm and harmony, which are highly valued in social interactions.

着急 (zhāojí) is used constantly in everyday conversation. It's neither formal nor overly informal.

• In Conversation: You'll hear it when people are stuck in traffic, waiting for test results, worried about a family member's health, or rushing to finish a task.
• As a Verb: It can be used as a verb, often in the pattern “为…着急” (wèi… zhāojí) - “to be anxious for/about…”. It can also be a separable verb, as in “你着什么急?” (nǐ zháo shénme jí?) - “What are you getting so worked up about?”
• As an Adjective: It often functions like an adjective, especially after adverbs like 很 (hěn), 非常 (fēicháng), or 真 (zhēn). For example, “我心里很着急” (wǒ xīnlǐ hěn zhāojí) - “I'm very worried/anxious.”

• Example 1:
  • 快点儿，我要迟到了，真着急！
  • Pinyin: Kuài diǎnr, wǒ yào chídào le, zhēn zhāojí!
  • English: Hurry up, I'm going to be late, I'm so anxious!
  • Analysis: This is a classic use of `着急` to express anxiety due to a time constraint.
• Example 2:
  • 儿子这么晚还没回家，她心里很着急。
  • Pinyin: Érzi zhème wǎn hái méi huíjiā, tā xīnlǐ hěn zhāojí.
  • English: Her son still hasn't come home this late, she's very worried.
  • Analysis: Here, `着急` is used to mean “worried” about someone's safety. The urgency comes from the unexpected delay.
• Example 3:
  • 别着急，我们还有很多时间，慢慢来。
  • Pinyin: Bié zhāojí, wǒmen hái yǒu hěnduō shíjiān, màn man lái.
  • English: Don't worry / Take it easy, we still have plenty of time, let's take it slow.
  • Analysis: 别着急 (bié zhāojí) is an essential phrase for calming someone down.
• Example 4:
  • 你着什么急？飞机要到晚上才起飞。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ zháo shénme jí? Fēijī yào dào wǎnshang cái qǐfēi.
  • English: What are you so impatient about? The plane doesn't take off until tonight.
  • Analysis: This example shows `着急` used as a separable verb (`着…急`), a common pattern in questions.
• Example 5:
  • 找不到我的护照了，真是急死我了！ (A common variation is 急死我了 jí sǐ wǒ le)
  • Pinyin: Zhǎo bu dào wǒ de hùzhào le, zhēn shì jí sǐ wǒ le!
  • English: I can't find my passport, I'm worried to death!
  • Analysis: `急死我了` is a very common idiomatic expression that intensifies the feeling of `着急`. It literally means “anxious to death.”
• Example 6:
  • 客户明天就要这个方案，我们得抓紧，他很着急。
  • Pinyin: Kèhù míngtiān jiù yào zhège fāng'àn, wǒmen děi zhuājǐn, tā hěn zhāojí.
  • English: The client wants this proposal by tomorrow, we have to hurry, he's very anxious (for it).
  • Analysis: Demonstrates `着急` in a business context related to a deadline.
• Example 7:
  • 他脸上带着着急的表情，好像出了什么事。
  • Pinyin: Tā liǎn shàng dàizhe zhāojí de biǎoqíng, hǎoxiàng chū le shénme shì.
  • English: He had a worried look on his face, as if something had happened.
  • Analysis: Here, `着急` is used as an adjective modifying “表情” (biǎoqíng - expression).
• Example 8:
  • 你光着急也没用啊，得赶紧想个办法解决问题。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ guāng zhāojí yě méi yòng a, děi gǎnjǐn xiǎng ge bànfǎ jiějué wèntí.
  • English: It's useless for you to just worry, you have to quickly think of a way to solve the problem.
  • Analysis: This sentence highlights that `着急` is just a feeling; action is needed. `光 (guāng)` here means “just” or “only.”
• Example 9:
  • 我在着急地等待面试的结果。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zài zhāojí de děngdài miànshì de jiéguǒ.
  • English: I am anxiously waiting for the interview results.
  • Analysis: The adverbial particle `地 (de)` is used to show that `着急` is describing the action of waiting.
• Example 10:
  • 这个问题太复杂了，真让人着急。
  • Pinyin: Zhège wèntí tài fùzá le, zhēn ràng rén zhāojí.
  • English: This problem is too complicated, it really makes one anxious.
  • Analysis: The pattern `让(ràng) + 人(rén) + 着急` means “to make people anxious/worried.”

The most common mistake for learners is confusing `着急` with `担心 (dānxīn)`.

• 着急 (zhāojí) vs. 担心 (dānxīn) - Worry vs. Urgent Worry
  • 着急 (zhāojí) has a built-in sense of urgency and impatience. It's worry + a ticking clock.
  • 担心 (dānxīn) is a more general, “purer” worry. It can be about something immediate or far in the future, without the feeling of needing to do something right now.
  • Correct: 我很着急，因为我快迟到了。(I'm anxious because I'm almost late.) → Urgency is key.
  • Correct: 我很担心他的健康。(I'm worried about his health.) → This is a general, ongoing concern.
  • Incorrect: *我很着急世界的和平。 (I am impatient for world peace.) This sounds strange because the problem isn't something you can solve immediately. You would use `担心` here.
• 着急 (zhāojí) vs. 焦虑 (jiāolǜ) - Anxious vs. Anxiety
  • As mentioned, `着急` is for everyday, situational stress.
  • `焦虑 (jiāolǜ)` is a more formal, heavier term. It's used for long-term anxiety and in psychological or medical contexts. e.g., 焦虑症 (jiāolǜzhèng) is “anxiety disorder.”

• 担心 (dānxīn) - The closest synonym, meaning “to worry,” but it lacks the strong sense of urgency or impatience found in `着急`.
• 焦虑 (jiāolǜ) - A more formal and clinical term for “anxiety” or “apprehension,” often referring to a chronic condition.
• 急忙 (jímáng) - An adverb meaning “hastily” or “in a hurry.” This is the action you take because you feel `着急`.
• 赶紧 (gǎnjǐn) - An adverb meaning “hurriedly” or “without losing time.” It's often used in commands to urge someone to act quickly, precisely because the situation is `着急`.
• 耐心 (nàixīn) - An antonym meaning “patience.” If you are not `着急`, you have `耐心`.
• 别着急 (bié zhāojí) - A crucial phrase meaning “Don't worry,” “Take it easy.”
• 上火 (shàng huǒ) - A Traditional Chinese Medicine concept of the body becoming “inflamed” due to stress, lack of sleep, or certain foods. Feeling `着急` for a long time can cause you to `上火`.
• 等不及 (děng bu jí) - A phrase meaning “can't wait.” This expresses the impatience component of `着急`.
• 火急火燎 (huǒ jí huǒ liáo) - An idiom describing someone being extremely anxious and agitated, as if being burned by fire. A much stronger version of `着急`.