不翼而飞
不翼而飞 (bù yì ér fēi) literally means “without wings yet flying” and expresses “sudden disappearance”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: bu yi er fei, bu yi er fei,不翼而飞 meaning, 不翼而飞 in english
Sudden disappearance
Pronunciation: bù yì ér fēi Literal meaning: Without wings yet flying
Origin & Usage
The Guanzi observes that what has no wings and yet flies is sound — meaning that words travel without any visible means of doing so. That is the original sense, and it survives in describing how fast news gets around. The commoner modern use is the other one: an object that flies off (飞) without (不) wings (翼), which is the standard Chinese way of reporting that something has gone missing in circumstances that do not suggest an accident.
Examples
English: "The news of his sudden success spread like wildfire, as if it had taken flight on its own."
Chinese: 他的成功消息不翼而飞，迅速传遍了整个城市。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
小心翼翼
xiǎo xīn yì yì
Act with extreme caution and care
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如虎添翼
rú hǔ tiān yì
Add to one's strength; become even more powerful
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插翅难飞
chā chì nán fēi
Utterly impossible to escape
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飞禽走兽
fēi qín zǒu shòu
All varieties of wildlife in nature
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鸡飞蛋打
jī fēi dàn dǎ
To lose everything; complete failure
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龙飞凤舞
lóng fēi fèng wǔ
Dynamic elegance
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草长莺飞
cǎo zhǎng yīng fēi
Springtime vitality
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不胫而走
bù jìng ér zǒu
Spread widely and rapidly on its own
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 不翼而飞 mean in English?
不翼而飞 (bù yì ér fēi) literally translates to “Without wings yet flying” and is used to express “Sudden disappearance”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 不翼而飞 used?
Situation: The news of his sudden success spread like wildfire, as if it had taken flight on its own.
What is the pinyin for 不翼而飞?
The pinyin pronunciation for 不翼而飞 is “bù yì ér fēi”.