着急
to be anxious; worried; in a hurry
zháojí
What does 着急 mean?
着急 (zháojí) describes the feeling of being anxious, worried, or in a hurry — the mental state when time is short, a problem looms, or a loved one is late. Literally 'catch / be hit by + urgency,' the word covers both 'antsy hurry' and 'worried concern.' Common patterns: 别着急 ('don't worry / don't rush') is the standard reassurance you say to someone stressed; 我很着急 ('I'm really anxious'); 着急回家 ('anxious to get home').
The first character is read zháo here (not zhe or zhuó), one of the trickier multi-pronunciation characters in HSK 3. Don't confuse 着急 with 担心 (dānxīn, 'to worry about something specific'): 着急 is the inner-feeling state, often mixed with time pressure; 担心 is worry directed at a person or outcome. Native speakers also use 着急 idiomatically to mean 'in a rush' for action — 不着急 ('no rush / take your time') is a common polite response.
Character breakdown
to catch; to be hit by (a feeling/state)
urgent; anxious; hurried
Memory hook: 'Caught by urgency' — when urgency catches up with you, you feel 着急.
Example sentences
别着急，我们还有时间。
Bié zháojí, wǒmen hái yǒu shíjiān.
Don't worry, we still have time.
spoken
妈妈很着急，因为我回家晚了。
Māma hěn zháojí, yīnwèi wǒ huí jiā wǎn le.
Mom got very worried because I came home late.
spoken
我着急去机场。
Wǒ zháojí qù jīchǎng.
I'm in a hurry to get to the airport.
spoken
不着急，慢慢说。
Bù zháojí, mànman shuō.
No rush, take your time and speak slowly.
spoken
他一着急就说不出话来。
Tā yì zháojí jiù shuō bu chū huà lái.
As soon as he gets anxious, he can't get words out.
neutral
Common phrases with 着急
Synonyms
担心 is 'to worry about (something or someone)' — takes an object. 我担心你 ('I'm worried about you'). 着急 is the inner anxious / rushed feeling, often without a specific target. 担心他生病 ('worry he's sick') vs 着急他还没回来 ('anxious because he's not back yet').
紧张 is 'nervous / tense' — usually about performance or pressure (考试紧张 'nervous about the exam'). 着急 is more about time pressure or unresolved situations.
Don't confuse 着急 with
急 alone is the adjective 'urgent / quick-tempered' (急事 'urgent matter,' 他很急 'he's hot-tempered / impatient'). 着急 specifically describes the feeling state of anxious urgency.
着 has three readings. In 着急 it's zháo. As a particle (looking at, doing) it's zhe (看着 'looking'). 着 in 着装 ('attire') is zhuó. Three different jobs; learn 着急 as a fixed unit.