三月不知肉味

sānyuèbùzhīròuwèi

idiom

Meanings

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

Characters

know / perceive

Examples

听了她的演奏，简直三月不知肉味。

Tīng le tā de yǎnzòu, jiǎnzhí sān yuè bù zhī ròu wèi.

After hearing her play, I could honestly not taste meat for three months.

这本小说太精彩，我看得三月不知肉味。

Zhè běn xiǎoshuō tài jīngcǎi, wǒ kàn de sān yuè bù zhī ròu wèi.

This novel is so brilliant I read it and couldn't taste meat for three months.

Tips

history

From 《论语·述而》: '子在齐闻《韶》，三月不知肉味，曰：不图为乐之至于斯也！' Confucius, hearing the ancient 韶 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

三 sān

月 yuè

不 bù

知 zhī

肉 ròu

味 wèi