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
乐此不疲
lè cǐ bù pí
Passionate engagement
Learn more →
画饼充饥
huà bǐng chōng jī
Empty promises satisfy nothing
Learn more →
同舟共济
tóng zhōu gòng jì
Face challenges together
Learn more →
刮骨疗毒
guā gǔ liáo dú
Radical problem-solving
Learn more →
冰消瓦解
bīng xiāo wǎ jiě
Complete collapse
Learn more →
锦囊妙计
jǐn náng miào jì
Prepared clever strategy
Learn more →
牵羊担酒
qiān yáng dān jiǔ
Bring gifts to celebrate or give thanks
Learn more →
如鱼得水
rú yú dé shuǐ
In perfect element
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”.