Definition
心不在焉 is a four-character idiom that literally means 'the mind is not there'. It describes someone who is distracted, daydreaming, or not paying attention to what is happening around them. You can use it to talk about a person's state during a meeting, class, or any situation where they should be focused but aren't.
f.e.
absent-mindedinattentivedistracted
Examples
- 心不在焉，。Tā shàngkè shí zǒngshì xīn bú, lǎoshī jiǎng shénme dōu méi tīng jìnqù.He is always absent-minded in class and doesn't take in anything the teacher says.
- ，心不在焉，。Zuìjìn gōngzuò tài máng, wǒ jīngcháng xīn bú, lián yàoshi dōu wàng le dài.I've been so busy with work lately that I'm often distracted, even forgetting to bring my keys.
- 心不在焉，。Kāihuì shí tā xīn bú, gēnběn méi zhùyì huìyì nèiróng.He was absent-minded during the meeting and didn't pay attention to the content at all.
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