📖 Meaning
To be so joyful that one forgets about death. It describes a broad-minded, carefree attitude in which a person sets aside all worldly concerns and anxieties, including the fear of mortality. The phrase conveys a state of supreme contentment and spiritual liberation.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom does not trace to a single specific classical text but reflects a philosophical ideal deeply rooted in Daoist thought. In works such as the Zhuangzi, transcending worldly anxieties—including the fear of death—is presented as the highest state of being, where one embraces life so fully that mortality ceases to weigh on the mind. The phrase captures this ideal of attaining such inner joy and contentment that even death is forgotten. It embodies the broader Chinese cultural appreciation for a life lived with open-hearted equanimity.
💡 Example Usage
他在山水之间游历，乐而忘死，早已将功名利禄抛诸脑后。
He wandered among mountains and rivers, so joyful he forgot about death, having long cast aside all thoughts of fame and fortune.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 乐而忘死
- Pinyin: lè ér wàng sǐ
- Literal Translation: happy, and, forget, death
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4