zan3 tang4 tang4震騰騰震腾腾
Jyutpingzan3 tang4 tang4
Yalejan tàhng tàhng
Definition
Trembling or shivering, especially from extreme fear.
colloquialemotiondescriptions
How it's used
This reduplicated adjective captures the physical manifestation of fear, specifically the uncontrollable shaking of the body. It is often used to emphasize a state of being overwhelmed by anxiety or terror, making it more vivid than simply saying someone is scared. The rhythm of the phrase adds a sense of immediacy to the description of the person's reaction.
Examples
He started trembling all over the moment he saw the big dog.
Related words
Common phrases
scared stiff and trembling
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with physical shaking caused by cold, which is usually described as 震過貓王 or simply 震. While 震騰騰 can technically describe shivering from cold, it is strongly associated with fear in most everyday contexts.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
