芒刺在背

Traditional form:

芒刺在背

Pinyin (reading):

mángcìzàibèi

Definitions:

• feeling brambles and thorns in one's back (idiom)
• uneasy and nervous
• to be on pins and needles

Characters:

• 芒 - blade; ray; silvergrass, Miscanthus sinensis
• 刺 - to stab; to prick, to irritate; to prod
• 在 - at, in, on; to exist; used to indicate the present progressive tense
• 背 - back, backside; to betray, to violate

Traditional characters:

• 芒 - blade; ray; silvergrass, Miscanthus sinensis
• 刺 - to stab; to prick, to irritate; to prod
• 在 - at, in, on; to exist; used to indicate the present progressive tense
• 背 - back, backside; to betray, to violate