lè乐happybù不notsī思think ofshǔ蜀Shu
To be so happy that one forgets one's home or origins; to be content in exile.
Literal meaning
happy (乐) — not (不) — think of (思) — Shu (蜀)
Origin
Refers to Liu Shan, the last emperor of the Shu Han kingdom, who, after being captured by the Wei kingdom, claimed to be happy and not miss his former kingdom. A classical four-character phrase.
Examples
tā他zài在guó国wài外shēng生huó活duō多nián年，yǐ已jīng经lè乐bù不sī思shǔ蜀le了。
He has lived abroad for many years and has already forgotten his homeland.
suī虽rán然shēn身zài在yì异xiāng乡，dàn但tā他bìng并méi没yǒu有lè乐bù不sī思shǔ蜀，shǐ始zhōng终xīn心xì系zǔ祖guó国。
Although he is in a foreign land, he has not forgotten his homeland and always cares about his country.
Usage & nuances
Often used to describe someone who has become too comfortable in a new environment and has forgotten their roots.
Learn idioms by speaking them
Idioms are most useful when they land in a real conversation. Practice them out loud in Kango — get instant feedback on tone and timing.
Download Kango on iOS