异想天开 yìxiǎng-tiānkāi to imagine the wildest thing
(idiom) to imagine the wildest thing; to indulge in fantasy
How to remember 异想天开: 异 different + 想 think about + 天 day + 开 open = to imagine the wildest thing.
Characters
How it is used
- Idiom for wildly fanciful, unrealistic thinking - 你别异想天开了 (nǐ bié yìxiǎng-tiānkāi le) stop daydreaming / quit fantasizing.
- Usually mildly critical or dismissive: the idea is out of touch with reality.
- Can occasionally be neutral-to-admiring for bold imagination, but the default tone is 'get real.'