魂不附体 soul not attached to the body
Explanation
形容人极度害怕或震惊，以致失去正常的意识和行动能力。
Describes someone who is extremely afraid or shocked, to the point of losing normal consciousness and ability to act.
Origin Story
话说唐朝时期，有一个名叫李白的书生，他生性胆小，却一心想考取功名。一日，他独自一人赶路去京城赶考，路过一片荒无人烟的山林，天色已晚，风声瑟瑟，树影婆娑，他心中忐忑不安。突然，他听到一阵奇怪的声音，像是野兽的低吼，又像是鬼魅的哭泣。他吓得魂不附体，拔腿就跑，也不顾及自己携带的珍贵书籍和考卷，只想逃离这可怕的地方。他一路狂奔，直到跑到一个村庄，才停下脚步，这时，他才发现，原来那些声音，只是山风吹动树叶和山谷回声所致。经过这次惊吓，他很久都无法平静下来，甚至连考试都忘记了，真是让人啼笑皆非。
Once upon a time, during the Tang Dynasty, there was a timid scholar named Li Bai, who yearned for officialdom despite his timid nature. One day, he traveled alone to the capital to take the imperial examinations. As he passed through a deserted forest at dusk, the wind howled, shadows danced, and he felt uneasy. Suddenly, he heard strange sounds, like the growl of a wild beast or the cry of a ghost. He was scared out of his wits and ran away, abandoning his precious books and examination papers, just wanting to escape. He ran until he reached a village, only to discover that the sounds were merely the wind rustling through leaves and echoing through the valley. After this fright, he couldn't calm down for a long time, even forgetting about the examination, an amusing yet pathetic situation.
Usage
常用来形容人由于极度恐惧或震惊而失去理智或正常状态。
Often used to describe someone who loses their composure or normal state due to extreme fear or shock.
Examples
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他吓得魂不附体。
ta xia de hun bu fu ti
He was scared out of his wits.
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听到这个噩耗，她魂不附体，差点晕倒。
ting dao zhe ge e hao, ta hun bu fu ti, cha dian yun dao
Upon hearing the bad news, she was beside herself and almost fainted