翻天覆地

Pronunciation: fān tiān fù dì Literal meaning: Overturn sky and earth

Origin & Usage

The idiom 翻天覆地 (fān tiān fù dì) is commonly used in classical Chinese to describe a situation where changes are immense and thorough. The phrase is composed of 翻 (fān, overturn) and 覆 (fù, overturn), with 天 (tiān, sky) and 地 (dì, earth) representing the entire world. This creates a vivid image of the sky and earth being turned upside down, emphasizing the magnitude of transformation. The earliest known literary reference is from the Tang dynasty poem 《胡茄十八拍》 by Liu Shang, which uses the imagery to convey significant upheaval. In modern contexts, this idiom is often used to describe revolutionary changes in society, technology, or personal life, highlighting the complete and dramatic nature of such transformations.

Examples

English: "The new policy transformed the entire industry overnight."

Chinese: 这项新政策翻天覆地地改变了整个行业。