失神

shīshén
verb #33,480

Meanings

  1. 1 to be absent-minded
  2. 2 to space out
  3. 3 to lose focus
  4. 4 to be despondent

Examples

Tā shàngkè shí chángcháng shīshén.
He often spaces out in class.
Tīng dào zhège huài xiāoxi, tā shīshén de zuò zài shāfā shàng.
Hearing the bad news, she sat blankly on the sofa.

Tips

memory
Literally 'lose spirit' — your (spirit/mind/focus) drifts away. Same - prefix family as 失言 (slip of the tongue), 失态 (lose composure), 失眠 (lose sleep / insomnia). Medical Chinese also uses 失神 for 'absence seizures' in epilepsy.

Stroke Order

shī
shén