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前後を忘れる (ぜんごをわすれる) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
expression, ichidan verb
lose one's common sense ; forget the situation ; lose oneself
Used when someone becomes so absorbed, excited, or intoxicated that they lose awareness of their surroundings or act without thinking. Often implies a temporary loss of judgment.
嬉うれ
しさ
に
前ぜん
後ご
を
忘わす
れ
て
飛と
び
上あ
がっ
た
。
I was so overjoyed that I forgot myself and jumped up.
Similar words 我われ を 忘わす れる 我を忘れる also means 'to lose oneself', but focuses more on losing self-control or consciousness of one's own identity, often in anger or ecstasy. 前後を忘れる emphasizes losing awareness of the situation or acting without common sense.
夢む 中ちゅう になる 夢中になる means 'to be absorbed in something' in a positive or neutral sense, without the negative connotation of losing judgment that 前後を忘れる can carry.
Etymology The expression combines 前後 (before and after, i.e., one's surroundings or the situation) with 忘れる (to forget). The exact origin is uncertain, but it likely developed from the idea of forgetting what is around oneself.
