1.
to become absorbed; to lose oneself in; to empty one's mind
To enter a state of complete focus or mental emptiness, free from distracting thoughts or self-consciousness.
無心になって走った。
I ran with a clear mind.
絵を描いているとき、無心になれる。
When I'm painting, I can lose myself in it.
嫌なことを忘れるために、無心になって料理に取り組んだ。
To forget my troubles, I threw myself into cooking with an empty mind.
無心 literally means 'no mind' or 'no heart,' and the expression describes entering a state where one is free from worries, calculations, and self-awareness. Rooted in Zen Buddhist philosophy, where 無心 is an ideal state of being fully present. In everyday use, it describes being so focused on an activity that distracting thoughts disappear.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 無心になって働く: to work with single-minded focus
- 無心になって練習する: to practice with total absorption
- 無心になれる時間: time when one can clear one's mind
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 夢中になる: to become engrossed, crazy about — implies excitement and enthusiasm, while 無心になる emphasizes calm, empty-minded focus
- 集中する: to concentrate — a more deliberate, effortful focus, while 無心になる suggests a natural, effortless state of absorption