<h3>Let your imagination run wild</h3>
<blockquote>
<p>take your entire process at your own pace <a href="https://diymfa.com/writing/let-your-imagination-run-wild" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Source</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Many websites show that this chinese idiom is similar to the one above:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.purpleculture.net/dictionary-details/?word=%E6%83%B3%E5%85%A5%E9%9D%9E%E9%9D%9E" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Purple culture</a></li>
<li><a href="http://approachinese.com/dict/zh2en/%E6%83%B3%E5%85%A5%E9%9D%9E%E9%9D%9E/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Approachinese</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.omgchinese.com/dictionary/chinese/%E6%83%B3%E5%85%A5%E9%9D%9E%E9%9D%9E" rel="nofollow noreferrer">omgchinese</a></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-03T23:33:15.797Z
2022-07-03T23:33:15.797Z
DialFrost
<blockquote>
<p>想入非非、(安身立命)等詞語，它們源自對<strong>佛經</strong>的翻譯</p>
</blockquote>
<p>additionally, according to <a href="https://www.law.cuhk.edu.hk/app/the-sir-tl-yang-society/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Sir TL Tang (a Hong Kong professor)</a>,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>「想入非非」（是胡思亂想），英文是to allow the fancy to run wild。不過這些翻譯不如原文般用字精練和生動</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>http://rthk9.rthk.hk/elearning/yangtl/studyroom_topic7_p2.htm</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p><code>as an example•</code>  we will allow our fancy to run wild •(
我們胡思亂想， 想入非非)
<a href="https://books.google.com.hk/books?id=7jJrkzEj8qAC&amp;pg=PA41&amp;dq=to%20allow%20the%20fancy%20to%20run%20wild&amp;hl=zh-TW&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwidq_Wmud74AhUFp1YBHTJDClcQ6AF6BAgKEAI#v=onepage&amp;q=to%20allow%20the%20fancy%20to%20run%20wild&amp;f=false" rel="nofollow noreferrer">from this google book</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://books.google.com.hk/books?id=pWFsEAAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PT145&amp;dq=to%20allow%20the%20fancy%20to%20run%20wild&amp;hl=zh-TW&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjGg-jSwt74AhXemVYBHQapCFc4ChDoAXoECAMQAg#v=onepage&amp;q=to%20allow%20the%20fancy%20to%20run%20wild&amp;f=false" rel="nofollow noreferrer">there is also a page in this google book</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-04T05:37:46.963Z
also referring to 胡思亂想。https://books.google.com.hk/books?id=kuozEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA265&dq=to+allow+the+fancy+to+run+wild&hl=zh-TW&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwidq_Wmud74AhUFp1YBHTJDClcQ6AF6BAgEEAI#v=onepage&q=to%20allow%20the%20fancy%20to%20run%20wild&f=false
envs_h_gang_5
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-04T04:44:50.870Z
2022-07-04T05:57:09.743Z
2022-07-04T05:57:09.743Z
envs_h_gang_5
<p>是非<br />
right and wrong</p>
<p>是是非非<br />
right and wrong</p>
<p>非非之想<br />
wishful thinking</p>
<p>想入非非<br />
indulge in flights of fancy (flights = 量词）</p>
<p>是谁一直在让他想入非非的？<br />
Who has been putting ideas in his head?</p>
<blockquote>
<p>William Shakespeare’s The Tempest in Act IV, Scene 1.</p>
<p><strong>Prospero:</strong> You do look, my son, in a moved sort,<br />
As if you were
dismay’d: be cheerful, sir.<br />
Our revels now are ended. These our actors,<br />
As I foretold you, were all spirits and<br />
Are melted into air, into thin air:<br />
And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,<br />
The cloud-capp’d towers, the gorgeous palaces,<br />
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,<br />
Ye all which it inherit, shall dissolve<br />
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,<br />
Leave not a rack behind. <strong>We are such stuff<br />
As dreams are made on, and our little life<br />
Is rounded with a sleep.</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Just thought I'd try and squeeze 想入非非 into Prospero's mouth!</p>
<p>We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep.<br />
我们就是想入非非的材料而我们的生活在睡眠里休止。</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-04T09:38:24.053Z
2022-07-04T09:38:24.053Z
Pedroski
<p>There is a chinese idiom called <code>想入非非</code>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>to indulge in fantasy</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Is there is an english idiom that is similar to this?</p>
<p>Searching gave me this strange &quot;idiom&quot;:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>allow one's fancy to run wild</p>
</blockquote>

<translation><meaning><idioms>
English idiom of "想入非非"
# English idiom of "想入非非"

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-07-03)

There is a chinese idiom called `想入非非`:

> to indulge in fantasy

Is there is an english idiom that is similar to this?

Searching gave me this strange "idiom":

> allow one's fancy to run wild

**Tags:** translation, meaning, idioms


---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2022-07-04. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

是非  
right and wrong

是是非非  
right and wrong

非非之想  
wishful thinking

想入非非  
indulge in flights of fancy (flights = 量词）

是谁一直在让他想入非非的？  
Who has been putting ideas in his head?

> William Shakespeare’s The Tempest in Act IV, Scene 1.
>
> **Prospero:** You do look, my son, in a moved sort,  
> As if you were
> dismay’d: be cheerful, sir.  
> Our revels now are ended. These our actors,  
> As I foretold you, were all spirits and  
> Are melted into air, into thin air:  
> And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,  
> The cloud-capp’d towers, the gorgeous palaces,  
> The solemn temples, the great globe itself,  
> Ye all which it inherit, shall dissolve  
> And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,  
> Leave not a rack behind. **We are such stuff  
> As dreams are made on, and our little life  
> Is rounded with a sleep.**

Just thought I'd try and squeeze 想入非非 into Prospero's mouth!

We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep.  
我们就是想入非非的材料而我们的生活在睡眠里休止。


---

### Answer by username_0 on 2022-07-03. Score: 1

### Let your imagination run wild

> take your entire process at your own pace [Source](https://diymfa.com/writing/let-your-imagination-run-wild)

Many websites show that this chinese idiom is similar to the one above:

* [Purple culture](https://www.purpleculture.net/dictionary-details/?word=%E6%83%B3%E5%85%A5%E9%9D%9E%E9%9D%9E)
* [Approachinese](http://approachinese.com/dict/zh2en/%E6%83%B3%E5%85%A5%E9%9D%9E%E9%9D%9E/)
* [omgchinese](https://www.omgchinese.com/dictionary/chinese/%E6%83%B3%E5%85%A5%E9%9D%9E%E9%9D%9E)


---

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-07-04. Score: 1

> 想入非非、(安身立命)等詞語，它們源自對**佛經**的翻譯

additionally, according to [Sir TL Tang (a Hong Kong professor)](https://www.law.cuhk.edu.hk/app/the-sir-tl-yang-society/),

> 「想入非非」（是胡思亂想），英文是to allow the fancy to run wild。不過這些翻譯不如原文般用字精練和生動

> http://rthk9.rthk.hk/elearning/yangtl/studyroom\_topic7\_p2.htm

> `as an example•` we will allow our fancy to run wild •(
> 我們胡思亂想， 想入非非)
> [from this google book](https://books.google.com.hk/books?id=7jJrkzEj8qAC&pg=PA41&dq=to%20allow%20the%20fancy%20to%20run%20wild&hl=zh-TW&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwidq_Wmud74AhUFp1YBHTJDClcQ6AF6BAgKEAI#v=onepage&q=to%20allow%20the%20fancy%20to%20run%20wild&f=false)

[there is also a page in this google book](https://books.google.com.hk/books?id=pWFsEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT145&dq=to%20allow%20the%20fancy%20to%20run%20wild&hl=zh-TW&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjGg-jSwt74AhXemVYBHQapCFc4ChDoAXoECAMQAg#v=onepage&q=to%20allow%20the%20fancy%20to%20run%20wild&f=false)

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: also referring to 胡思亂想。https://books.google.com.hk/books?id=kuozEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA265&dq=to+allow+the+fancy+to+run+wild&hl=zh-TW&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwidq_Wmud74AhUFp1YBHTJDClcQ6AF6BAgEEAI#v=onepage&q=to%20allow%20the%20fancy%20to%20run%20wild&f=false  

---

