全神贯注 (quán shén guàn zhù) — to be completely absorbed in, to be engrossed in

Definition

An idiom for being 'completely absorbed/engrossed' in what you're doing. Functions as a verb phrase and pairs with 地 to modify an action (e.g. 全神贯注地听).

verb
to be completely absorbed into be engrossed in

Examples

  • 全神贯注
    Tā zhèng zài quán shén guàn zhù dì tīng lǎo shī jiǎng kè.
    He is listening to the teacher's lecture with full concentration.
  • 全神贯注
    Kǎo shì shí, měi gè xué shēng dōu quán shén guàn zhù dì dá tí.
    During the exam, every student answered the questions with complete focus.
  • 全神贯注
    Tā quán shén guàn zhù dì huà le yì fú shān shuǐ huà.
    She painted a landscape painting with total absorption.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

全神whole spirit
quánwholeshénspirit
偏正Modifier + head
贯注concentrate
guànthread throughzhùconcentrate
联合Coordinate

全神 is the whole spirit, and 贯注 pours it into one point, so the mind is absorbed.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape puts 入 together with 玉 to show a whole piece of jade, so it means complete or whole.

Open 全 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
shìgod; deity
Sound part声符shēngfú
shēnshén
Same sound today

The older form 申 drew lightning, which the ancients regarded as divine; 神 adds 示 (god/deity) to mark that meaning.

Open 神 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 貫; 贯 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 貫 originally showed two shells strung together; the simplified 贯 is a later abbreviation.

Open 贯 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
zhǔzhù
Same sound today

注 combines 水, meaning water, with 主, which gives the sound.

Open 注 →

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