📖 Meaning
One's spirit has left its dwelling place, meaning one has lost their composure and feels deeply unsettled. It describes a state of extreme distraction, anxiety, or mental disarray where a person cannot concentrate or calm down.
📜 Origin Story
This phrase comes from the Qing dynasty scholar Ji Yun (纪昀) and his renowned collection of supernatural tales, Notes from the Thatched Abode of Close Observations (阅微草堂笔记). In one passage describing extreme exhaustion, Ji Yun wrote that when fatigue reaches its peak, the spirit no longer stays in its proper place. The expression draws on the traditional Chinese belief that a person's shen (神) resides within the body as its dwelling (舍), and when overwhelmed by exhaustion or fear, the spirit wanders off, leaving the person dazed and distracted.
💡 Example Usage
自从收到那封恐吓信后，他整天神不守舍，连饭都吃不下。
Ever since receiving that threatening letter, he has been so distracted and unsettled that he can't even eat.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 神不守舍
- Pinyin: shén bù shǒu shě
- Literal Translation: spirit, not, guard, house
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4