Chinese word

胡思乱想

Pronunciation

Pinyinhú sī luàn xiǎng

Meaning

  • verblet one's imagination run wild

Example

别再胡思乱想，把时间都浪费了。bié zài hú sī luàn xiǎng bǎ shí jiān dōu làng fèi le

Stop letting your imagination run wild and wasting all your time.

Illustration for 胡思乱想 (let one's imagination run wild)

More examples

讨论时不要胡思乱想，要以事实为依据。tǎo lùn shí bú yào hú sī luàn xiǎng yào yǐ shì shí wèi yī jù

During discussions, don't let your imagination run wild; base what you say on facts.

Core concept

A mind wanders beyond the facts, multiplying uncontrolled thoughts into imagined possibilities.

Common phrases

  • 别太胡思乱想bié tài hú sī luàn xiǎng

    don't daydream too much

  • 不要胡思乱想bú yào hú sī luàn xiǎng

    don't let your imagination run wild

Similar words

妄想wàng xiǎng: Firmly believing in things that do not exist despite having no evidence.
空想kōng xiǎng: Imagining unreal things in a dreamy, wishful way.
幻想huàn xiǎng: Imagining an ideal picture that differs from reality.
做白日梦zuò bái rì mèng: Drifting into unrealistic dreams instead of focusing on work.

Definition in Chinese

无凭无据地陷入各种不真实或过度的念头，含有妄想或胡乱担忧的意思。wú píng wú jù dì xiàn rù gè zhǒng bù zhēn shí huò guò dù de niàn tou hán yǒu wàng xiǎng huò hú luàn dān yōu de yì si

Word origin

胡 (hú, "reckless") + 思 (sī, "think") + 乱 (luàn, "disorderly") + 想 (xiǎng, "picture in the mind") portray thought as untethered and uncontrolled.

Usage tips

  • The expression is stronger than a neutral description of mental activity because it judges the thoughts as ungrounded, making tone important when discussing another person's worries.

Other meanings

  • daydreamverb
  • imagineverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word