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心不在焉. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
心不在焉, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
心不在焉 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
心不在焉 you have here. The definition of the word
心不在焉 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
心不在焉, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Chinese
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heart; mind
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where; how
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simp. and trad.
(心不在焉)
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心
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不在
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焉
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| Literally: “the heart is not here”.
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Etymology
From the Great Learning (《大學》) in the Book of Rites:
心不在焉，視而不見，聽而不聞，食而不知其味。此謂修身在正其心。
心不在焉，视而不见，听而不闻，食而不知其味。此谓修身在正其心。 - From: The Book of Rites, c. 4th – 2nd century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
- Xīn bùzài yān, shì ér bùjiàn, tīng ér bù wén, shí ér bùzhī qí wèi. Cǐ wèi xiūshēn zài zhèng qí xīn.
- When the mind is not present, we look without seeing; we hear without understanding; and we eat and do not know the taste of what we eat. This is what is meant by saying that the cultivation of the person depends on the rectifying of the mind.
Pronunciation
Idiom
心不在焉
- absent-minded; absent-mindedly; preoccupied