📖 Meaning
One's mind is restless and cannot settle down, feeling anxious and unsettled. It describes a state of mental unease where a person is unable to calm their thoughts or emotions. The phrase emphasizes an internal lack of tranquility rather than physical restlessness.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Qing dynasty novel Dream of the Red Chamber (红楼梦) by Cao Xueqin, specifically Chapter 113. In the scene, a character's mind is so unsettled that she appears as if seeing ghosts, and the attendants are sent away while Granny Liu sits by the bedside. The phrase captures the deep psychological distress experienced by the character. Over time, it became a common expression for describing a troubled, anxious state of mind in everyday Chinese.
💡 Example Usage
他今天心神不定，连吃饭都没什么胃口。
He was so restless and unsettled today that he barely had any appetite for his meals.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 心神不定
- Pinyin: xīn shén bù dìng
- Literal Translation: heart, spirit, not, settled
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4