Not yourself
Idioms, Stage 2chunk 3 of 21Noticing & the mind
Someone, or your own head, not working the way it usually does.
- dou ka shiterube out of one's mind, not be oneselfliterally “is doing somehow”
- atama ga mawaranaican't think straightliterally “the head doesn't turn”
- dou iu kaze no fukimawashiwhat's brought this on? (someone acting out of character)literally “what kind of turn of the wind”
Mix-ups dou ka shiteru (you've lost it) and dou iu kaze no fukimawashi (what's got into you, often at sudden kindness) both open with dou; atama ga mawaranai blurs with kuchi ga mawaranai and the busy list's te ga mawaranai.
dou ka shiteru
polite dou ka shite imasu
“is doing somehow”
be out of one's mind, not be oneself
In English: be out of one's mind
Said to someone acting crazy (anta dou ka shiteru yo: you've lost it), or about yourself in the past as an apology: gomen, dou ka shiteta (sorry, I wasn't myself). Also about a situation: kono atsusa, dou ka shiteru (this heat is crazy). Don't confuse it with the question dou ka shita? (is something wrong?). Atama ga okashii is the harsher 'you're crazy'.
Plain alternative: okashii yo (you're acting weird).
gomen, sakki wa dou ka shiteta.
Sorry, I wasn't myself earlier.
ごめん、さっきはどうかしてた。
sumimasen, sakki wa dou ka shite imashita.
I'm sorry, I wasn't myself earlier.
すみません、さっきはどうかしていました。
Written どうかしてるHeard 278× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside atama ga okashiiMain list dou (Stage 2), suru (Stage 1), -teru (Stage 1)
atama ga mawaranai
polite atama ga mawarimasen
“the head doesn't turn”
can't think straight
In English: can't think straight
The everyday excuse when you're tired, hungry or hungover: nebusoku de atama mawannai. Casual speech squashes it to mawannai. Atama ga masshiro ni naru is different: your mind goes blank in a panic.
Positive: atama ga yoku mawaru (quick-witted). Don't confuse with kuchi ga mawaranai (can't get the words out).
nebusoku de atama mawannai.
I'm too short on sleep to think straight.
寝不足で頭回んない。
nebusoku de atama ga mawarimasen.
I'm too short on sleep to think straight.
寝不足で頭が回りません。
Written 頭が回らない · あたまがまわらないHeard 3× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesMain list -nai (Stage 1)
dou iu kaze no fukimawashi
polite dou iu kaze no fukimawashi desu ka
“what kind of turn of the wind”
what's brought this on? (someone acting out of character)
A teasing question when someone does something out of character, like cooking, paying or cleaning, or turns up or calls out of the blue: dou iu kaze no fukimawashi de koko e? About someone else: dou iu kaze no fukimawashi ka, kare ga tetsudatte kureta (for some reason, he helped out).
ogotte kureru nante, dou iu kaze no fukimawashi?
You're treating me? What's gotten into you?
おごってくれるなんて、どういう風の吹き回し？
senpai ga ogotte kureru nante, dou iu kaze no fukimawashi desu ka?
You're treating me? What's gotten into you?
先輩がおごってくれるなんて、どういう風の吹き回しですか？
Written どういう風の吹き回し · どういうかぜのふきまわしHeard 12× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesMain list dou iu (Stage 2), -te kureru (Stage 2)