Meaning of 他急红了眼?

[Tatarik]

Hello everyone, 

 

I've heard that expression while I was in Beijing, and I can't find the translation when I scroll the Internet. 

Do you know what it means? 

 

Thanks :-)

 

Tarik

[tom6740]

A folky way of saying somebody is very anxious about something.

 

For example, someone want to catch an international flight at 11am at the Beijing airport, but he got stuck in the traffic jam in the city at 10am, then 他 may 急红了眼.

[Tatarik]

Thanks Tom, very helpful! I noted it in my wordlist ;-)

[tom6740]

My pleasure. BTW, such phrase is usually seem in literature (news, novels, etc), in daily life (i.e. oral conversations) it is rarely used. For example if you orally saying something like "我急红了眼", it will look funny to others.

 

BTWx2, 红了眼 (literally "red eyes") means "very into something". Phrases like 杀红了眼 means "very into fighting" (but usually not killing someone/animals, e.g. may be used in price wars between companies).

[jkduck]

I do not think the first example is right. We do not use it in that way. Here is an example: Jack is an astute business man, and several days ago he earned a sum of money through selling fur in winter. so many people in his town begin to do the business and earn a lot of money. Another man see this also want to have a try.We can say, 他急红了眼，也想赚一笔。you see some people do something and get some benefit from, so you envy them and also want to get the benefit, then you are 急红了眼.

[Charlotte Chen]

I think "急红了眼" is different from "眼红"

We use "急红了眼" to say somebody is very anxious about something.

However, "眼红" means a person who envies somebody else.

[Tatarik]

Thanks Tom, great to know that it's not very colloquial. 

 

Jkduck, Charlotte, 

Thanks to you too for adding on top of Tom's explanation. Now I know that there is 急红了眼 and 眼红. I had never heard the latter. :-)