<ol>
<li><p><code>要是</code> signifies a hypothetical construction. <code>往常</code> does not only mean ‘as usual’ (which only corresponds to <code>常</code>, as in <code>通常</code>, <code>正常</code>, <code>常規</code>); <code>往</code> here specifies the past, as in <code>往日</code>, <code>往事</code>, <code>往昔</code>. Together they mean ‘normally in the past’.</p>
</li>
<li><p><code>早</code> is an adverb meaning ‘already’. Think of that as saying, something happened well in the past (<em>early</em> in the timeline).</p>
<blockquote>
<p>他早(就)離開了。 He left already.</p>
</blockquote>
</li>
<li><p><code>待</code> is a verb meaning ‘to stay’. <code>不住</code> is an add-on to it, literally meaning ‘not to a still’. Figuratively, <code>待不住</code> means you can’t contain yourself, or you’ve got itchy feet. Perhaps you're excited or anxious about something.</p>
</li>
<li><p>The whole sentence means ‘I’ in the past would’ve not been able to control myself in coming up with the many racing thoughts in my head (unsolved cases, scientific breakthroughs, lottery etc.). My mind is so irritable that these thoughts would have occurred very easily and very soon (hence the use of <code>早</code>). But now my mind is completely at peace, so they are nowhere to be found.</p>
</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-14T03:51:04.420Z
2021-05-15T02:30:04.900Z
2021-05-15T02:30:04.900Z
L Parker
<p>&quot;早待不住了&quot; here doesn't means his body, but his thinking mind can not stop here, would thinking in different place</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-16T14:23:14.733Z
2021-05-16T14:23:14.733Z
JoseLuis
<p>In this context:</p>
<p>早 = early --&gt; sometime ago --&gt; long ago --&gt; have already</p>
<blockquote>
<p>要在往常，我一定<strong>早</strong>(就)待不住了</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>If it was like usual in the past, I certainly would <strong>have already</strong> been unable to stay (then)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another example:</p>
<p>早 = early --&gt; sometime ago --&gt; long ago</p>
<p>他<strong>早</strong>(就)死了 = he had died <strong>long ago</strong> (then)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-14T04:02:16.797Z
2021-05-14T04:07:55.193Z
2021-05-14T04:07:55.193Z
Tang Ho
<p>要在往常，<br />
Normally,<br />
我一定早待不住了，<br />
I would have already left long ago,<br />
惦记着某某侦探的案件是不是有了突破，<br />
because, usually, I am always thinking such and such a case maybe has a breakthrough,<br />
科学家是否有了震惊世界的发现，<br />
some scientists maybe made an astonishing discovery,<br />
彩票大奖开了没有，<br />
whether the big lottery result has been announced,<br />
前两天的恐怖袭击到底是谁干的,<br />
who perpetrated the terrorist attack two days ago,</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-14T10:28:22.433Z
2021-05-14T10:28:22.433Z
Pedroski
<p>If we translate the whole story rather than a sentence, then it would mean the text in boldface:</p>
<p>...my mind has gradually settled down, otherwise, <strong>I won't be able to sit still</strong> against my curios nature, that always wanted to know....</p>
<p>要在往常 indicates curiosity is the writer's personal trait normally, but not this time, because a peaceful/calmer mind has helped/kept him stay put rather than immediate jump out to pursue answers. A very unusual reaction of the writer judged from his normal behaviors.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-17T01:13:54.437Z
2021-05-17T01:13:54.437Z
r13
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/uSQmI.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/uSQmIm.jpg" alt="photo of the relevant page" /></a></p>
<p>要在往常，我一定<strong>早待不住了</strong>，惦记着某某侦探的案件是不是有了突破，……<br />
<a href="https://translate.google.cn/?sl=zh-CN&amp;tl=en&amp;text=%E8%A6%81%E5%9C%A8%E5%BE%80%E5%B8%B8%EF%BC%8C%E6%88%91%E4%B8%80%E5%AE%9A%E6%97%A9%E5%BE%85%E4%B8%8D%E4%BD%8F%E4%BA%86%EF%BC%8C%E6%83%A6%E8%AE%B0%E7%9D%80%E6%9F%90%E6%9F%90%E4%BE%A6%E6%8E%A2%E7%9A%84%E6%A1%88%E4%BB%B6%E6%98%AF%E4%B8%8D%E6%98%AF%E6%9C%89%E4%BA%86%E7%AA%81%E7%A0%B4%EF%BC%8C%E2%80%A6%E2%80%A6" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Google Translate:</a>  As usual, I must have been unable to stay any longer, wondering if there was a breakthrough in the case of Detective XX,...<br />
<sub><em>标准教程HSK6上，87页</em></sub></p>
</blockquote>
<p>I don't understand what the part in bold above means.  Maybe it's something along the lines of &quot;As usual, I was definitely prematurely restless, ...&quot;.  It's not clear at all to me.</p>
<p><strong>Question</strong>: What does 早待不住了 mean in 要在往常，我一定早待不住了……?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-14T08:21:59.253Z
Can't stay (quietly) in the room any more. Or Can't hold myself to do something.
Zhang
<meaning>
What does 早待不住了 mean in 要在往常，我一定早待不住了……?
# What does 早待不住了 mean in 要在往常，我一定早待不住了……?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-05-14)

> [![photo of the relevant page](https://i.sstatic.net/uSQmIm.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/uSQmI.jpg)
>
> 要在往常，我一定**早待不住了**，惦记着某某侦探的案件是不是有了突破，……  
> [Google Translate:](https://translate.google.cn/?sl=zh-CN&tl=en&text=%E8%A6%81%E5%9C%A8%E5%BE%80%E5%B8%B8%EF%BC%8C%E6%88%91%E4%B8%80%E5%AE%9A%E6%97%A9%E5%BE%85%E4%B8%8D%E4%BD%8F%E4%BA%86%EF%BC%8C%E6%83%A6%E8%AE%B0%E7%9D%80%E6%9F%90%E6%9F%90%E4%BE%A6%E6%8E%A2%E7%9A%84%E6%A1%88%E4%BB%B6%E6%98%AF%E4%B8%8D%E6%98%AF%E6%9C%89%E4%BA%86%E7%AA%81%E7%A0%B4%EF%BC%8C%E2%80%A6%E2%80%A6) As usual, I must have been unable to stay any longer, wondering if there was a breakthrough in the case of Detective XX,...  
> *标准教程HSK6上，87页*

I don't understand what the part in bold above means. Maybe it's something along the lines of "As usual, I was definitely prematurely restless, ...". It's not clear at all to me.

**Question**: What does 早待不住了 mean in 要在往常，我一定早待不住了……?

**Tags:** meaning

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Can't stay (quietly) in the room any more. Or Can't hold myself to do something.  

---

## 5 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-05-14. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

1. `要是` signifies a hypothetical construction. `往常` does not only mean ‘as usual’ (which only corresponds to `常`, as in `通常`, `正常`, `常規`); `往` here specifies the past, as in `往日`, `往事`, `往昔`. Together they mean ‘normally in the past’.
2. `早` is an adverb meaning ‘already’. Think of that as saying, something happened well in the past (*early* in the timeline).

   > 他早(就)離開了。 He left already.
3. `待` is a verb meaning ‘to stay’. `不住` is an add-on to it, literally meaning ‘not to a still’. Figuratively, `待不住` means you can’t contain yourself, or you’ve got itchy feet. Perhaps you're excited or anxious about something.
4. The whole sentence means ‘I’ in the past would’ve not been able to control myself in coming up with the many racing thoughts in my head (unsolved cases, scientific breakthroughs, lottery etc.). My mind is so irritable that these thoughts would have occurred very easily and very soon (hence the use of `早`). But now my mind is completely at peace, so they are nowhere to be found.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2021-05-16. Score: 1

"早待不住了" here doesn't means his body, but his thinking mind can not stop here, would thinking in different place


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### Answer by username_4 on 2021-05-14. Score: 1

In this context:

早 = early --> sometime ago --> long ago --> have already

> 要在往常，我一定**早**(就)待不住了

> If it was like usual in the past, I certainly would **have already** been unable to stay (then)

Another example:

早 = early --> sometime ago --> long ago

他**早**(就)死了 = he had died **long ago** (then)


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### Answer by username_5 on 2021-05-14. Score: 0

要在往常，  
Normally,  
我一定早待不住了，  
I would have already left long ago,  
惦记着某某侦探的案件是不是有了突破，  
because, usually, I am always thinking such and such a case maybe has a breakthrough,  
科学家是否有了震惊世界的发现，  
some scientists maybe made an astonishing discovery,  
彩票大奖开了没有，  
whether the big lottery result has been announced,  
前两天的恐怖袭击到底是谁干的,  
who perpetrated the terrorist attack two days ago,


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2021-05-17. Score: 0

If we translate the whole story rather than a sentence, then it would mean the text in boldface:

...my mind has gradually settled down, otherwise, **I won't be able to sit still** against my curios nature, that always wanted to know....

要在往常 indicates curiosity is the writer's personal trait normally, but not this time, because a peaceful/calmer mind has helped/kept him stay put rather than immediate jump out to pursue answers. A very unusual reaction of the writer judged from his normal behaviors.


---

