三月不知肉味

sānyuèbùzhīròuwèi
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 for three months did not notice the taste of meat
  2. 2 to be so absorbed in something beautiful that all other pleasures dull by comparison

Examples

Tīng le tā de yǎnzòu, jiǎnzhí sānyuèbùzhīròuwèi.
After hearing her play, I could honestly not taste meat for three months.
Zhè běn xiǎoshuō tài jīngcǎi, wǒ kàn de sānyuèbùzhīròuwèi.
This novel is so brilliant I read it and couldn't taste meat for three months.

Tips

history
From 《论语·》: '》,三月不知之至!' Confucius, hearing the ancient music of sage-king Shun in Qi, was so overwhelmed that meat lost its taste for three months. Now used hyperbolically for any art that consumes you.
usage
Standard modern usage is praise for an experience (music, a meal, a book) that is so good it makes ordinary pleasures feel flat.

Stroke Order

sān
yuè
zhī
ròu
wèi