tâm bất tại
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
The mind not at home — attention wandered off; instruction poured past its absent tenant.
Literally: the heart not present
Sources & notes
Discovered via Tục ngữ, cổ ngữ, gia ngôn (Huỳnh Tịnh Của, 1897; public domain, via vi.wikisource); retrieved 2026-08-01. Source: source ↗ Attested in Tục ngữ, cổ ngữ, gia ngôn (Huỳnh Tịnh Của, 1897). Definition is an original editorial synthesis, not copied from the source.
Common questions
What does “tâm bất tại” mean?
The mind not at home — attention wandered off; instruction poured past its absent tenant. Literally: the heart not present
Is “tâm bất tại” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.