砍柴人下山，两头儿担薪砍柴人下山，兩頭兒擔薪砍柴人下山，兩頭兒擔薪

a woodcutter coming down the mountain: carries firewood (worry) at both ends

Saying俗语俗語

Two-part saying歇后语歇後語 · Rarely used now

Meaning: Said of someone who worries about two things at once and is anxious on both sides.
Wordplay: 薪 (xīn, firewood) is a pun on 心 (xīn, heart), so 担薪 "carry firewood" sounds like 担心 "worry".

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Simplified: 砍柴人下山，两头儿担薪
Traditional (Taiwan): 砍柴人下山，兩頭兒擔薪
Pinyin: kǎn chái rén xiàshān, liǎngtóur dān xīn
Bopomofo: ㄎㄢˇ ㄔㄞˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄕㄢ，ㄌㄧㄤˇ ㄊㄡˊㄦㄉㄢㄒㄧㄣ

Written with HSK 7-9 vocabulary, at CEFR level C1.

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