1.
to lose oneself; to forget oneself; to be beside oneself
To become so absorbed in something or so overwhelmed by emotion that one loses awareness of oneself and one's surroundings. Can be positive (absorbed in joy) or negative (losing composure in anger).
我を忘れて怒る。
To fly into a rage, forgetting oneself.
A set expression meaning to forget one's usual self — to lose composure, self-awareness, or restraint. 我 here is a literary/formal word for 'self.'
Common patterns
- 我を忘れて〜する: to do something while lost in the moment
- 我を忘れるほど: to the point of losing oneself
Usage
Used in both positive and negative contexts:
- Positive: being so captivated by beauty, joy, or excitement that one loses track of time and surroundings
- Negative: losing self-control due to anger, panic, or strong emotion