1.
absentminded; one's mind is elsewhere; distracted
Describes a state where someone is physically present but mentally preoccupied with something else. Literally, 'the heart/mind is not here.'
彼は心ここにあらずだった。
His mind was elsewhere.
心ここにあらずで、話が頭に入ってこない。
My mind is elsewhere and I can't take in what's being said.
試合のことが気になって、授業中ずっと心ここにあらずだった。
I was worried about the game, so my mind was elsewhere the entire class.
A classical Japanese expression meaning 'the heart is not here.' Uses the classical negative form あらず (modern: ない) of ある. Despite its literary origin, it is widely used in modern Japanese to describe someone who is distracted or preoccupied.
ORIGIN:
From the classical Chinese text 大学 (Great Learning): 心ここに在らざれば視れども見えず — 'When the mind is not present, one looks but does not see.' The phrase became a common Japanese idiom.
USAGE:
Typically used as a predicate (心ここにあらずだ) or as a modifier (心ここにあらずの状態). Describes someone whose thoughts are obviously elsewhere — during a meeting, a conversation, or a task.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- うわの空 — absent-minded, inattentive; very close synonym, slightly more casual
- ぼんやりする — to space out; implies less focused mental preoccupation
- 上の空 — same as うわの空, alternate kanji form