# 蠢蠢欲动

chǔn chǔn yù dòng

Show signs of restless movement or impending action

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Stir and wish to move

**Traditional Chinese:** 蠢蠢欲動

**Register:** Descriptive · general

[Change & possibility](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/change)

## When to use it

Describe emerging threats or an eager impulse to act.

Often negative, but can be playful for harmless excitement.

## Understanding the expression

Something begins to stir before it fully emerges or acts. The expression describes that early movement of a threat, group, or desire. It may warn that trouble is developing, but it can also playfully describe wanting to travel or buy something. The context decides the tone. The important feature is readiness becoming visible, not completed action, so the sentence commonly precedes the event rather than reports that everything has already happened.

## Examples

春天一到，旅行的念头就蠢蠢欲动。

### Traditional Chinese

春天一到，旅行的念頭就蠢蠢欲動。

chūn tiān yí dào ， lǚ xíng de niàn tou jiù chǔn chǔn yù dòng 。

Spring stirred my desire to travel.

骗子又蠢蠢欲动，开始发假消息。

### Traditional Chinese

騙子又蠢蠢欲動，開始發假消息。

piàn zi yòu chǔn chǔn yù dòng ， kāi shǐ fā jiǎ xiāo xī 。

The scammers are stirring again with false messages.

闻到点心香味，孩子们蠢蠢欲动。

### Traditional Chinese

聞到點心香味，孩子們蠢蠢欲動。

wén dào diǎn xīn xiāng wèi ， hái zi men chǔn chǔn yù dòng 。

The pastry smell made the children eager to move.

局势不稳，各种势力蠢蠢欲动。

### Traditional Chinese

局勢不穩，各種勢力蠢蠢欲動。

jú shì bù wěn ， gè zhǒng shì lì chǔn chǔn yù dòng 。

Instability made various factions restless and ready to act.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E8%A0%A2%E8%A0%A2%E6%AC%B2%E5%8B%95)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=620&webMd=1&la=0)

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