mong4 jing4忘形
Jyutpingmong4 jing4
Yalemòhng yìhng
Definition
To be beside oneself with excitement or pleasure; to be carried away and lose control.
colloquialemotionpeople
How it's used
Describes a state where someone loses their composure or sense of propriety due to overwhelming excitement or success. It often carries a slightly critical tone, implying that the person has become reckless or arrogant. While it can describe positive excitement, it frequently serves as a warning against losing one's self-control.
Examples
He got carried away after winning the competition and ignored his friends.
You are getting too carried away playing, be careful not to fall.
Related words
Common phrases
to let success go to one's head
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with simply being happy, but it specifically implies a loss of self-restraint or social awareness. Do not use it to describe someone who is just having a good time in a normal, controlled way.
Grammar color guide
Noun
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
