📖 Meaning
The mind is not present. It describes a state of distraction where one's thoughts are elsewhere, lacking concentration on the task at hand. Often used to criticize inattentiveness.
📜 Origin Story
From the 'Great Learning' (大学) chapter of the 'Book of Rites' (礼记), a Confucian classic compiled during the Western Han dynasty. The original passage states that when the mind is absent, one looks but does not see, listens but does not hear, and eats without tasting the food. This illustrates the Confucian emphasis on sincere attentiveness as foundational to self-cultivation and moral development.
💡 Example Usage
上课时心不在焉，老师讲的内容一句也没听进去。
He was absent-minded in class and didn't catch a single word the teacher said.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 心不在焉
- Pinyin: xīn bù zài yān
- Literal Translation: heart, not, at, here
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4