压力大
yālì dà
The English phrase "stressed" can be translated into Chinese as 压力大 (yālì dà).
压力大 is used to describe a state of being under high pressure, whether from work, school or life in general.
Meaning: stressed-out (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 压力 (yālì), meaning 'pressure' and 大 (dà), meaning 'big' or 'large'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In natural speech, the phrase is often expanded with an adverb of degree like 很 (hěn) to sound more idiomatic, such as in 压力很大.
How do you pronounce it?
yālì dà
Did you know?
- A student might say they are 卷 (juǎn), a slang term meaning 'to be rolled up' or 'to compete excessively', to describe the stress of intense competition.
- In Chinese culture, when someone says 压力大, a common supportive response is not to suggest 'relaxing' but to say 加油 (jiāyóu), which literally means 'add oil'.
- When someone is extremely stressed, they might use the idiom 压力山大 (yālì shān dà), which jokingly suggests the pressure is as 'big as a mountain'.
Examples in context
- 这段时间工作太多，让我感到心力交瘁。The excessive workload during this period has left me mentally and physically exhausted.
- 考试前的准备工作真的让我感到很紧张。The preparation before the exam really makes me feel stressed.
- 我的工作找不到突破，感觉有些焦虑。I feel somewhat anxious because I can't make a breakthrough in my work.
