心猿意马 xīn yuán yì mǎ

restless and distracted; can't focus

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency Unknown

Definitions

  1. 1. lit. heart like a frisky monkey, mind like a cantering horse (idiom); fig. capricious (derog.)
  2. 2. to have ants in one's pants
  3. 3. adventurous and uncontrollable
  4. 4. hyperactive

Characters

Character Meaning
心 xīn HSK 3
heart; mind; intention
猿 yuán
ape; variant of 猿yuán
意 yì HSK 2
meaning; idea; thought
马 mǎ HSK 3
horse; surname Ma