每天成语
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想入非非

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

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: xiǎng rù fēi fēi
  • English Translation: To indulge in wild fantasies (to have one's head in the clouds)
  • Idiom Composition: 「想」（To think, imagine, or desire.）＋「入」（To enter or to reach a certain state.）＋「非非」（An abbreviation of the Buddhist realm 'neither thought nor non-thought'; in modern context, it refers to an illusory or unrealistic world.）
  • Meaning: To allow one's imagination to run wild with unrealistic or improper thoughts. Originally a Buddhist term describing a high state of meditation, in modern usage it carries a derogatory nuance, referring to dreaming of the impossible or harboring indecent fantasies.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「想入非非」 contains the following nuances:

  • Escapist Fantasies: Refers to imagining things that are impossible or far beyond one's actual abilities.
  • Impure Motives: Depending on the context, it can imply sexual delusions or morally questionable schemes.

3. Usage

「想入非非」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Unrealistic Expectations: Used to criticize those who dream of success or luck without putting in the necessary effort.
    • Example:「他不肯脚踏实地工作，整天想入非非，盼着能中大奖。」
      （He refuses to work hard and instead spends all day indulging in wild fantasies, hoping to win the lottery.)
  • Romantic Delusions: Often used when someone misinterprets a polite gesture as romantic interest or harbors improper thoughts.
    • Example:「别看人家对你笑了一下就开始想入非非，那只是礼貌而已。」
      （Don't start letting your imagination run wild just because she smiled at you; that was only politeness.)
  • Impossible Plans: Used as a warning against unscientific inventions or reckless business plans.
    • Example:「想发明永动机简直是想入非非，违背了物理规律。」
      （Trying to invent a perpetual motion machine is simply wishful thinking; it violates the laws of physics.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 你与其坐在这里想入非非，不如立刻行动起来。
    （Rather than sitting here lost in daydreams, you should take action immediately.）
  2. 看到那笔巨款，他不禁有些想入非非，动了贪念。
    （Seeing that huge sum of money, he couldn't help but harbor improper thoughts and felt a surge of greed.）
  3. 这种想入非非的计划根本不可能得到批准。
    （Such an unrealistic plan has no chance of being approved.）
  4. 少在那儿想入非非了，快去写作业！
    （Stop fantasizing and go do your homework!）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Origin: This idiom originally comes from the Shurangama Sutra (楞严经), a Buddhist text. It referred to the 'Realm of Neither Thought nor Non-Thought' (非想非非想处 - fēi xiǎng fēi fēi xiǎng chù), a highly abstract state of meditation.
  • Semantic Shift: Over time, this 'realm beyond ordinary understanding' was reinterpreted by the public to mean 'entering a world that doesn't exist' or 'thinking about things that make no sense.'
  • Modern Nuance: In contemporary Chinese, the lofty spiritual meaning is entirely lost. It is now used almost exclusively in a derogatory sense to describe someone who is delusional, unrealistic, or harboring improper motives.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

The idiom 想入非非 (xiǎng rù fēi fēi) is used to criticize someone for being lost in unrealistic daydreams or improper delusions. While it originated from Buddhist philosophy, its modern meaning has shifted toward the negative, often describing people who chase impossible dreams or misinterpret social cues as romantic interest.

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

Idiom Essay

xiǎng rù fēi fēi
想入非非
Wild Flights of Fancy
yǒu shí hòu有时候，wǒ men我们de的shēn tǐ身体bù dé bù不得不dài待zài在yí gè一个dì fāng地方，bǐ rú比如chén mèn沉闷de的huì yì shì会议室，huò zhě或者yōng jǐ拥挤de的dì tiě地铁chē xiāng车厢；kě shì可是，wǒ men我们de的dà nǎo大脑què却bù yuàn yì不愿意lǎo shí老实dì地dài待zhe着。

Sometimes, our bodies are forced to stay in one place, such as a dull meeting room or a crowded subway car; however, our brains refuse to stay put.

nǐ你de的sī xù思绪kě néng可能huì会tū rán突然piāo zǒu飘走，kāi shǐ开始biān zhī编织yī xiē一些wán quán完全bù不fú hé符合luó jí逻辑de的gù shì故事。

Your thoughts might suddenly drift away, beginning to weave stories that are completely illogical.

yě xǔ也许nǐ你kàn看zhe着chuāng wài窗外de的yún云，huàn xiǎng幻想zì jǐ自己tū rán突然yǒu有le了chāo néng lì超能力，fēi飞dào到le了lìng另yí gè一个xīng qiú星球；yě xǔ也许nǐ你gāng gāng刚刚mǎi买le了yī zhāng一张cǎi piào彩票，hái还méi没kāi jiǎng开奖，jiù就yǐ jīng已经kāi shǐ开始rèn zhēn认真dì地jì huà计划zěn me怎么huā diào花掉nà那yí gè一个yì亿de的jiǎng jīn奖金，shèn zhì甚至lián连mǎi买shén me什么yán sè颜色de的yóu tǐng游艇dōu都xiǎng想hǎo好le了。

Perhaps you look at the clouds outside the window and imagine you suddenly have superpowers and fly to another planet; or perhaps you just bought a lottery ticket, and before the draw, you have already started seriously planning how to spend the 100 million prize, even deciding what color yacht to buy.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个chéng yǔ成语zhuān mén专门yòng lái用来xíng róng形容zhè zhǒng这种zhuàng tài状态，jiào叫“xiǎng rù fēi fēi想入非非”。

In Chinese, there is an idiom specifically used to describe this state, called 想入非非.

zhè ge这个cí词tīng qǐ lái听起来jiù就hěn很tè bié特别。

This term sounds very special.

“fēi非fēi非”zhè这liǎng gè两个zì字，zuì最zǎo早lái zì来自fó jiào佛教de的jīng diǎn经典，zhǐ指de的shì是yī zhǒng一种fēi cháng非常xuán miào玄妙、nán yǐ难以yán shuō言说de的jìng jiè境界。

The two characters 非非 originally come from Buddhist scriptures, referring to a very mysterious and indescribable realm.

bù guò不过，zài在xiàn dài现代shēng huó生活lǐ里，tā它de的yì si意思biàn dé变得hěn很jiē dì qì接地气，shèn zhì甚至dài yǒu带有yì diǎn diǎn一点点pī píng批评de的wèi dào味道。

However, in modern life, its meaning has become very down-to-earth, even carrying a slight tone of criticism.

tā它zhǐ指de的jiù shì就是nà zhǒng那种tuō lí脱离xiàn shí现实、bù qiē shí jì不切实际de的hú sī luàn xiǎng胡思乱想。

It refers to those unrealistic and impractical wild imaginings that are detached from reality.

qǐng请zhù yì注意，“xiǎng rù fēi fēi想入非非”hé和“mèng xiǎng梦想”shì是bù不yī yàng一样de的。

Please note that 想入非非 is different from having a dream.

mèng xiǎng梦想tōng cháng通常shì是wǒ men我们nǔ lì努力de的mù biāo目标，ér而“xiǎng rù fēi fēi想入非非”gèng更xiàng像shì是yī zhǒng一种dà nǎo大脑de的“bái rì mèng白日梦”。

A dream is usually a goal we work toward, while 想入非非 is more like a mental daydream.

tā它bù不xū yào需要luó jí逻辑，yě也bù不xū yào需要fù zé rèn负责任。

It requires no logic and no responsibility.

rú guǒ如果nǐ你gēn跟péng yǒu朋友shuō说：“wǒ我xiǎng想kāi开yī jiā一家gōng sī公司”，zhè这shì是mèng xiǎng梦想；dàn但rú guǒ如果nǐ你shén me什么dōu都méi没zuò做，zhǐ shì只是tǎng躺zài在chuáng床shàng上huàn xiǎng幻想zì jǐ自己chéng成le了shì jiè世界shǒu fù首富，nà那dà jiā大家jiù就huì会shuō说nǐ你shì是zài在“xiǎng rù fēi fēi想入非非”。

If you tell a friend, "I want to start a company," that is a dream; but if you do nothing and just lie in bed imagining you have become the richest person in the world, people will say you are 想入非非.

suī rán虽然wǒ men我们zài在shēng huó生活zhōng中zǒng shì总是bèi被jiào yù教育yào要jiǎo tà shí dì脚踏实地，bú yào不要xiǎng rù fēi fēi想入非非。

Although in life we are always taught to keep our feet on the ground and not 想入非非.

dàn但bù dé bù不得不chéng rèn承认，zhè zhǒng这种ǒu ěr偶尔de的“chū shén出神”，qí shí其实yě也shì是yī zhǒng一种lè qù乐趣。

We must admit that this occasional zoning out is actually a kind of pleasure.

tā它bú shì不是wèi le为了jiě jué解决wèn tí问题，ér shì而是wèi le为了ràng让dà nǎo大脑zàn shí暂时táo lí逃离xiàn shí现实de的yǐn lì引力，qù去yí gè一个wán quán完全zì yóu自由de的shì jiè世界lǐ里tòu透yì kǒu qì一口气。

It is not meant to solve problems, but to let the brain temporarily escape the gravity of reality and take a breath in a completely free world.

suǒ yǐ所以，xià cì下次dāng当nǐ你fā xiàn发现zì jǐ自己yòu又zài在nǎo hǎi脑海lǐ里shàng yǎn上演yī chū一出bù不kě néng可能de的dà xì大戏shí时，nǐ你kě yǐ可以xiào笑zhe着bǎ把zì jǐ自己lā拉huí lái回来，zài在xīn lǐ心里duì对zì jǐ自己shuō说：“hǎo好le了，gāng cái刚才nà那jǐ fēn zhōng几分钟，wǒ我zhēn de真的shì是xiǎng rù fēi fēi想入非非le了。”

So, next time you find yourself staging an impossible drama in your mind, you can smile and pull yourself back, saying to yourself, "Okay, for those few minutes, I was really 想入非非."

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