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