# 乐不思蜀

lè bù sī shǔ

Enjoy yourself so much that you forget home

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Enjoy pleasure and forget Shu

**Traditional Chinese:** 樂不思蜀

**Register:** Playful · conversational

[Change & possibility](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/change)

## When to use it

Humorously describe reluctance to leave an enjoyable place.

Can imply neglecting duties in serious contexts.

## Understanding the expression

The wording links enjoyment with forgetting the place one came from. In everyday speech it often becomes a light joke about a holiday, a visit, or a pleasant new environment. Someone feels so comfortable that returning home no longer seems urgent. The older moral flavor can still suggest distraction from duty, so context affects tone. A playful comment about travel is milder than accusing someone of abandoning responsibilities.

## Examples

孩子们在营地玩得乐不思蜀。

### Traditional Chinese

孩子們在營地玩得樂不思蜀。

hái zi men zài yíng dì wán dé lè bù sī shǔ 。

The children enjoy camp so much they do not want to leave.

她在海边乐不思蜀，又多住了两天。

### Traditional Chinese

她在海邊樂不思蜀，又多住了兩天。

tā zài hǎi biān lè bù sī shǔ ， yòu duō zhù le liǎng tiān 。

She enjoyed the seaside so much she stayed two extra days.

你在奶奶家乐不思蜀了吧？

### Traditional Chinese

你在奶奶家樂不思蜀了吧？

nǐ zài nǎi nai jiā lè bù sī shǔ liǎo ba ？

Are you having such a good time at Grandma's that you forgot home?

他旅行时乐不思蜀，连回程日期都记错了。

### Traditional Chinese

他旅行時樂不思蜀，連回程日期都記錯了。

tā lǚ xíng shí lè bù sī shǔ ， lián huí chéng rì qī dōu jì cuò le 。

He enjoyed the trip so much he even forgot his return date.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E6%A8%82%E4%B8%8D%E6%80%9D%E8%9C%80)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=53&webMd=1&la=0)

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