Don’t Be Left in the Dust Without This Slick Slang

In English it is common to compare someone running away quickly to a cloud of dust. In Chinese, there’s a similar slang word-- "一溜烟 (yí liù yān)," which can be used instead. This word is fast as lightning, leaves smoke trails, and is its own disappearing act. With those English idioms you’ve got a pretty good idea how to use "一溜烟 (yí liù yān)" now.

Let’s break it down:
一溜烟 (Yí liù yān): run away swiftly.

一 (Yī): one.
溜 (Liù): slippery.
烟 (Yān): smoke, tobacco.

In daily life conversation this word is often used to describe children who run away quickly after doing something naughty. You can imagine how quickly the children would run if an adult discovered their mischief. Imagine for a moment that a shop clerk approached a boy that was standing in an aisle alone for a long time. As soon as the boy sees the clerk come near, he takes off running! Was the boy stealing? Was he embarrassed? Who knows? The only thing that’s for certain is ... Read More

It's always fun to use Mandarin Chinese slang among Chinese friends. When we are joking around together, we often tease each other in a playful manner with "吐槽 (tǔcáo)" and lighten the mood. When we want to be self-deprecating regarding our sudden and impulsive behavior, there is another expression we can use: "脑子发热 (nǎozi fārè)."

脑子发热 (Nǎozi fārè) literally indicates that your head has a fever.

脑子 (Nǎozi) = a noun, meaning "head" or "brain;"
发 (Fā)= a verb, meaning to dispatch, or send out;
热 (Rè)= an adjective, meaning hot, or feverish.

In daily life, "脑子发热 (nǎozi fārè)" is used to describe someone who has become excited and does things carelessly or incorrectly. "脑子发热 (Nǎozi fārè)" is similar to the English words "volatile", "impulsive" or "fevered." The expression may refer to people who become very excited and then are unable to control themselves. During this time, they may do something unusual or abnormal and receive attention. Remember, when we have a "fever", we are not always in our "right" mind and may act out of character. This is the mind frame of a fevered head, or "脑子发热 (nǎozi fārè)!"

Common Structure:
Somebody + 脑子发热 (nǎozi fārè) + verb.

Examples of 脑子发热 (nǎozi fārè) in use:
Wǒ nǎozi fārè jiù bǎ shēn shàng de qián quán gěi tā le.
我 脑 子 发热就 把 身 上 的 钱 全 给 他 了。
My mind was so fevered that I gave him all of my money.

Nǐ búyào nǎozi fārè gàn shǎ shì!
你 不 要 脑 子 发热 干 傻 事！
Don't do stupid things under an impulse!

Extended knowledge points
Sometimes, people also say 头脑发热 (tóunǎo fārè).
头脑发热 (Tóunǎo fārè) = 脑子发热, 头脑 = 脑子 = head.

Example:
Wǒ tóunǎo fārè mǎi le yì běn shū, dàn què cónglái méiyǒu dúguò.
我 头 脑 发热 买 了 一 本 书， 但 却 从 来 没 有 读 过。
I bought a book when I was impulsive, but I never read it.

Recently, some Mandarin Chinese classmates and I went to a popular shopping mall in Beijing to buy the latest iPhone on the first day of its release. One of our classmates had planned on buying one new iPhone, but changed his mind when we all saw the mad ... Read More

Quiz:

1. Mike’s Chinese friend Lily updated a post on Facebook timeline and Mike can’t understand what it means because Mike doesn’t know Chinese. Can you help him? The post is:

"我当时脑子发热就把头发全剪了。"

Which of the following statements is true?