目不暇给
目不暇给 (mù bù xiá jǐ) literally means “eyes too busy to attend” and expresses “too much to take in”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: mu bu xia ji, mu bu xia ji,目不暇给 meaning, 目不暇给 in english
Too much to take in
Pronunciation: mù bù xiá jǐ Literal meaning: Eyes too busy to attend
Origin & Usage
Eyes (目) with no (不) leisure (暇) to attend to (给) it all. The construction blames the abundance rather than the observer, which is what distinguishes it from distraction — the attention is working properly and there is simply more than it can be spent on. Chinese pairs it naturally with 应接不暇 from the same family. It suits markets, exhibitions, festivals and, in current use, the feed on a screen, and its tone is closer to pleasure than to complaint.
Examples
English: "The exhibition's countless displays overwhelmed visitors"
Chinese: 展览中数不清的展品让参观者目不暇给
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
应接不暇
yìng jiē bù xiá
More to take in than one can keep up with
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目不转睛
mù bù zhuǎn jīng
Focus intently
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鱼目混珠
yú mù hùn zhū
Passing fakes as genuine
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一叶障目
yī yè zhàng mù
Miss big picture
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目无全牛
mù wú quán niú
Achieve instinctive mastery
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刮目相看
guā mù xiāng kàn
Reassess someone who has improved
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耳濡目染
ěr rú mù rǎn
Learning unconsciously through constant exposure
Learn more →
侧目而视
cè mù ér shì
Regard with fear and resentment
Learn more →
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 目不暇给 mean in English?
目不暇给 (mù bù xiá jǐ) literally translates to “Eyes too busy to attend” and is used to express “Too much to take in”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 目不暇给 used?
Situation: The exhibition's countless displays overwhelmed visitors
What is the pinyin for 目不暇给?
The pinyin pronunciation for 目不暇给 is “mù bù xiá jǐ”.