心不在焉
xīn bù zài yān
absent-minded
Character by character
心xīn
heart
heart
不bù
not
not
在zài
at
at
焉yān
here
here
Example
他上课的时候心不在焉。
He's absent-minded in class.
Tone: negative (criticism).
Usage and origin
From the Great Learning (《礼记·大学》): when the heart is elsewhere, you look but do not see.
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