乐不思蜀
乐不思蜀 (lè bù sī shǔ) literally means “so happy, no thought of shu” and expresses “too content to think of home”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: le bu si shu, le bu si shu,乐不思蜀 meaning, 乐不思蜀 in english
Too content to think of home
Pronunciation: lè bù sī shǔ Literal meaning: So happy, no thought of Shu
Origin & Usage
When the kingdom of Shu fell in 263, its last ruler Liu Shan was resettled in Luoyang and given a comfortable title. The Han Jin Chunqiu, quoted in the commentary to the Records of the Three Kingdoms, describes a banquet at which his conqueror Sima Zhao had Shu music and dancing performed. Shu's former officials wept; Liu Shan enjoyed himself. Asked whether he missed his homeland, he said 此间乐，不思蜀 — 'it is pleasant here, I do not think of Shu.' An old minister coached him to answer next time that his father's graves lay west and he grieved for them daily. When Sima Zhao asked again and Liu Shan recited it, Sima Zhao said it sounded remarkably like the minister's words, and Liu Shan agreed that it was. The idiom is used of anyone so comfortable in new surroundings that home, duty or origin quietly stops mattering.
Examples
English: "Three years into the posting abroad, he had stopped talking about moving back"
Chinese: 外派三年后，他已不再提起回国的事
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
一波三折
yī bō sān zhé
Many twists and turns
Learn more →
改邪归正
gǎi xié guī zhèng
Return to righteousness
Learn more →
好逸恶劳
hào yì wù láo
Shirk effort by preference
Learn more →
物极必反
wù jí bì fǎn
Push far enough and it turns
Learn more →
塞翁失马
sài wēng shī mǎ
Misfortune might be a blessing
Learn more →
近水楼台
jìn shuǐ lóu tái
Advantage from close connections
Learn more →
夜郎自大
yè láng zì dà
Overestimate oneself
Learn more →
因果报应
yīn guǒ bào yìng
Good and evil deeds repaid in kind
Learn more →
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 乐不思蜀 mean in English?
乐不思蜀 (lè bù sī shǔ) literally translates to “So happy, no thought of Shu” and is used to express “Too content to think of home”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 乐不思蜀 used?
Situation: Three years into the posting abroad, he had stopped talking about moving back
What is the pinyin for 乐不思蜀?
The pinyin pronunciation for 乐不思蜀 is “lè bù sī shǔ”.