發憤忘食

See also: 发愤忘食

Chinese

to express one's strong emotions to forget to eat; to neglect one's meals; to be so preoccupied as to forget mealtime
trad. (發憤忘食) 發憤 忘食
simp. (发愤忘食) 发愤 忘食

Etymology

From the Analects:

子曰：「女奚不曰：“其爲人也，發憤忘食，樂以忘憂，不知老之將至云爾。”」 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
子曰：「女奚不曰：“其为人也，发愤忘食，乐以忘忧，不知老之将至云尔。”」 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]
From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
Zǐyuē: “Rǔ xī bù yuē: “Qí wéirén yě, fāfènwàngshí, lè yǐ wàngyōu, bùzhī lǎo zhī jiāng zhì yún'ěr.”” [Pinyin]
The Master said, "Why did you not say to him,—He is simply a man, who in his eager pursuit (of knowledge) forgets his food, who in the joy of its attainment forgets his sorrows, and who does not perceive that old age is coming on?"

Pronunciation

Idiom

發憤忘食

  1. to study or work hard, neglecting one's meals; be so immersed in work as to forget one's meals
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