杯弓蛇影 bēi gōng shé yǐng

see danger where there is none; over-suspicious

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency Unknown

Definitions

  1. 1. lit. to see a bow reflected in a cup as a snake (idiom); fig. unnecessary suspicions
  2. 2. overly fearful

Characters

Character Meaning
杯 bēi HSK 1
cup; trophy cup
弓 gōng
a bow (weapon); to bend; to arch (one's back etc)
蛇 shé HSK 5
snake; serpent; variant of 蛇shé
影 yǐng HSK 1
shadow; image; movie