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情不自禁

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: qíng bù zì jīn
  • English Translation: Cannot help but (unable to restrain one's emotions)
  • Idiom Composition: 「情」（Emotion or feeling）＋「不」（Not or cannot）＋「自」（Self）＋「禁」（To restrain or endure (pronounced 'jīn' here)）
  • Meaning: A state where one's emotions are so strong that they cannot be controlled, leading to an involuntary or spontaneous action. It describes feelings like joy, sorrow, or being deeply moved welling up from within.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「情不自禁」 contains the following nuances:

  • Natural Outpouring of Emotion: This phrase describes an action that is not forced from the outside, but rather a natural result of internal feelings manifesting as physical behavior.
  • Inability to Control: It emphasizes that even if one tries to remain rational, the momentum of the emotion is too strong to be suppressed.
  • Pronunciation Note: The character 禁 is pronounced 'jīn' (1st tone) when it means 'to endure' or 'to bear,' as it does here. This is different from the 'jìn' (4th tone) used in 'prohibit' (禁止).

3. Usage

「情不自禁」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Deep Emotion or Joy: Most commonly used when witnessing a wonderful performance, a beautiful sight, or a happy event that triggers spontaneous applause or tears.
    • Example:「看到女儿第一次登台表演，母亲情不自禁地流下了激动的泪水。」
      （Seeing her daughter perform on stage for the first time, the mother could not help but shed tears of excitement.)
  • Affection and Love: Used to describe romantic or parental impulses, such as being moved to touch or kiss someone out of pure affection.
    • Example:「看着熟睡的孩子可爱的脸庞，她情不自禁地亲了一下。」
      （Looking at the sleeping child's cute face, she couldn't help but give him a kiss.)
  • Surprise or Laughter: Used when an unexpected joke or funny situation makes it impossible to keep a straight face.
    • Example:「听到这个滑稽的笑话，大家都情不自禁地笑出声来。」
      （Hearing that hilarious joke, everyone spontaneously burst out laughing.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 当国歌响起时，在场的观众都情不自禁地站了起来。
    （When the national anthem played, the audience instinctively stood up.）
  2. 重返故乡，看到熟悉的街道，一种怀念之情油然而生，让我情不自禁。
    （Returning to my hometown and seeing the familiar streets, a sense of nostalgia welled up, and I could not restrain my emotions.）
  3. 面对如此壮丽的山河，游客们情不自禁地发出了赞叹。
    （Facing such magnificent mountains and rivers, the tourists could not help but cry out in admiration.）
  4. 读到这封信的末尾，他情不自禁地叹了一口气。
    （Reading the end of the letter, he involuntarily let out a sigh.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • The distinction in pronunciation for 禁 (jīn) is a common pitfall for learners. In the context of 情不自禁 (qíng bù zì jīn), it specifically refers to the capacity to withstand or hold back a feeling.
  • While the idiom means 'unable to control oneself,' it is almost always used in a positive or sympathetic light. It is not used for negative addictions or bad habits (like being unable to stop smoking); for those contexts, a phrase like 无法自拔 (wú fǎ zì bá), meaning 'unable to extricate oneself,' is more appropriate.
  • Grammatically, it frequently functions as an adverbial phrase, often followed by the particle 地 (de) before a verb, as in 情不自禁地 (qíng bù zì jīn de) + [Action].

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

The idiom 情不自禁 (qíng bù zì jīn) describes a moment when internal emotions—such as joy, love, or admiration—overpower one's reason, causing an instinctive reaction. A key point for learners is the pronunciation of 禁 (jīn), which means 'to endure' or 'to restrain' in this context. It is the perfect phrase to use when you are so moved by a beautiful scene or a touching moment that you 'simply couldn't help' but react.

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Level 1Pre-Level 1

Idiom Essay

qíng bù zì jīn
情不自禁
Unable to Restrain One's Emotions
wǒ men我们dōu都zhī dào知道，zài在chéng nián rén成年人de的shì jiè世界lǐ里，sì hū似乎yǒu有yī tiáo一条bù chéng wén不成文de的guī dìng规定：yào要xué huì学会kòng zhì控制zì jǐ自己。

We all know that in the adult world, there seems to be an unwritten rule: learn to control yourself.

wǒ men我们yào要lěng jìng冷静，yào要lǐ mào礼貌，yào要jǐn liàng尽量yǐn cáng隐藏tài太guò过qiáng liè强烈de的qíng xù情绪。

We need to be calm, polite, and try our best to hide overly intense emotions.

dàn shì但是，rén人zhōng jiū终究bú shì不是jī qì机器。

However, humans are not machines after all.

zǒng总yǒu有yī xiē一些shí kè时刻，shēn tǐ身体huì会bǐ比dà nǎo大脑gèng更chéng shí诚实，fǎn yìng反应huì会bǐ比lǐ zhì理智gèng更kuài快。

There are always moments when the body is more honest than the brain, and reactions are faster than reason.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个fēi cháng非常shēng dòng生动de的chéng yǔ成语，zhuān mén专门yòng lái用来xíng róng形容zhè zhǒng这种“xīn tiào心跳pǎo跑dào到le了lǐ zhì理智qián miàn前面”de的shí kè时刻，jiào zuò叫做“qíng bù zì jīn情不自禁”。

In Chinese, there is a very vivid idiom used specifically to describe this moment when the heartbeat outruns reason, called 情不自禁.

zhè ge这个cí词de的jié gòu结构hěn很jiǎn dān简单。

The structure of this word is very simple.

“qíng情”，shì是gǎn qíng感情；“zì jīn自禁”，jiù shì就是zì jǐ自己kòng zhì控制zì jǐ自己。

情 means emotion; 自禁 means to control oneself.

hé qǐ lái合起来de的yì si意思shì是：mǒu zhǒng某种gǎn qíng感情tū rán突然yǒng涌shàng lái上来，qiáng liè强烈dào到lián连nǐ你zì jǐ自己dōu都méi bàn fǎ没办法yā yì压抑zhù住。

The combined meaning is: a certain emotion suddenly surges up, so strong that even you cannot suppress it.

qǐng请zhù yì注意，zhè这tōng cháng通常bú shì不是zài在shuō说fā pí qì发脾气，ér shì而是zài在miáo shù描述yī zhǒng一种gèng更běn néng本能de的liú lù流露。

Please note that this usually doesn't refer to losing one's temper, but rather describes a more instinctive expression.

xiǎng xiàng想象yī xià一下zhè yàng这样de的huà miàn画面：dāng当nǐ你tīng dào听到yī shǒu一首jié zòu节奏gǎn感hěn很qiáng强de的yīn yuè音乐，suī rán虽然nǐ你zuò坐zài在yǐ zi椅子shàng上，dàn但nǐ你de的jiǎo jiān脚尖kě néng可能yǐ jīng已经kāi shǐ开始qīng qīng轻轻dǎ pāi zi打拍子le了；huò zhě或者，dāng当nǐ你kàn dào看到hěn很jiǔ久méi没jiàn见de的hǎo péng yǒu好朋友tū rán突然chū xiàn出现zài在jī chǎng机场chū kǒu出口，nǐ你hái还méi没lái de jí来得及sī kǎo思考gāi该shuō说shén me什么，yǎn lèi眼泪kě néng可能jiù就yǐ jīng已经xiān先liú流xià lái下来le了，huò zhě或者shuāng bì双臂yǐ jīng已经shēn chū伸出qù去xiǎng yào想要yōng bào拥抱duì fāng对方。

Imagine this: when you hear music with a strong rhythm, even though you are sitting in a chair, your toes might have already started tapping the beat; or, when you see a long-lost friend suddenly appear at the airport exit, before you have time to think about what to say, tears might already be falling, or your arms are already reaching out for a hug.

yòu又huò zhě或者，shì是zài在ān jìng安静de的tú shū guǎn图书馆lǐ里，nǐ你dú读dào到shū书lǐ里yī jù一句fēi cháng非常yōu mò幽默de的huà话，míng míng明明zhī dào知道bù néng不能chū shēng出声，zuǐ jiǎo嘴角què却hái shì还是rěn bú zhù忍不住shàng yáng上扬，shèn zhì甚至chà diǎn差点xiào笑chū出shēng yīn声音。

Or perhaps, in a quiet library, you read a very humorous sentence in a book; even though you know you shouldn't make a sound, the corners of your mouth still can't help but turn up, and you almost laugh out loud.

zài在zhè xiē这些shí hòu时候，nǐ你bìng并méi yǒu没有xià下mìng lìng命令ràng让shēn tǐ身体zhè me这么zuò做。

At these times, you didn't give an order for your body to do so.

shì是kuài lè快乐、gǎn dòng感动huò zhě或者xǐ ài喜爱，tuī推zhe着nǐ你zhè me这么zuò做de的。

It is joy, touch, or affection pushing you to do it.

zhè这jiù shì就是“qíng bù zì jīn情不自禁”zuì最mí rén迷人de的dì fāng地方：tā它wǎng wǎng往往fā shēng发生zài在yī shùn jiān一瞬间，tā它bù不xū yào需要jīng guò经过sī kǎo思考。

This is the most charming part of 情不自禁: it often happens in an instant and doesn't require thinking.

zhèng正yīn wèi因为méi yǒu没有jīng guò经过sī kǎo思考，suǒ yǐ所以tā它wǎng wǎng往往shì是zuì最zhēn shí真实de的。

Precisely because it hasn't gone through thinking, it is often the most authentic.

nǐ你huò xǔ或许kě yǐ可以yòng用yǔ yán语言qù去yǎn shì掩饰xiǎng fǎ想法，dàn但nǐ你hěn很nán难yǎn shì掩饰yí gè一个“qíng bù zì jīn情不自禁”de的yǎn shén眼神huò或dòng zuò动作。

You might be able to use words to disguise your thoughts, but it's hard to hide a 情不自禁 look or gesture.

suǒ yǐ所以，zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语suī rán虽然dài带zhe着yí gè一个“jìn禁”zì字，dàn但tā它bìng并bú shì不是zài在qiáng diào强调“shī kòng失控”de的gān gà尴尬。

Therefore, although this idiom contains the character 禁, it doesn't emphasize the embarrassment of losing control.

xiāng fǎn相反，tā它shì是zài在qìng zhù庆祝yī zhǒng一种rén xìng人性de的xiān huó鲜活。

On the contrary, it celebrates the vividness of human nature.

xià cì下次，dāng当nǐ你fā xiàn发现zì jǐ自己yīn wèi因为kàn dào看到měi lì美丽de的fēng jǐng风景ér而tíng xià停下jiǎo bù脚步，huò zhě或者yīn wèi因为yī bù一部diàn yǐng电影ér而qiāo qiāo悄悄cā擦yǎn lèi眼泪shí时，bù不xū yào需要jué de觉得bù hǎo yì sī不好意思。

Next time, when you find yourself stopping because of a beautiful view or quietly wiping tears because of a movie, there's no need to feel embarrassed.

nǐ你kě yǐ可以duì对zì jǐ自己shuō说：zhè这yī kè一刻，wǒ我shì是qíng bù zì jīn情不自禁de的。

You can say to yourself: at this moment, I am 情不自禁.

yīn wèi因为zhè这zhèng míng证明le了，nǐ你de的xīn心yī rán依然róu ruǎn柔软，yī rán依然yōng yǒu拥有bèi被shì jiè世界dǎ dòng打动de的néng lì能力。

Because this proves that your heart is still soft and still possesses the ability to be moved by the world.

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