無我夢中(むがむちゅう)

A four-character idiom (四字熟語(よじじゅくご)) describing a state of total absorption where one loses self-awareness.

Etymology

無我(むが) (selflessness, no-self — a Buddhist concept) + 夢中(むちゅう) (absorbed, in a dream). Together: losing oneself completely in something.

Common patterns

• 無我夢中(むがむちゅう)で〜する: to do something in a state of total absorption
• 無我夢中(むがむちゅう)になる: to become completely engrossed
• 無我夢中(むがむちゅう)で走(はし)る: to run in a frenzy (without thinking)

Usage

Often implies urgency or intensity — being so caught up in something that you act without conscious thought. Commonly used for running, working, playing, or fleeing.

Similar words

• 夢中(むちゅう): absorbed, engrossed (simpler, more common)
• 一心不乱(いっしんふらん): single-minded concentration (more deliberate, focused)
• 没頭(ぼっとう)する: to be immersed in (more intellectual, sustained)