Chinese word

不翼而飞

Pronunciation

Pinyinbù yì ér fēi

Meaning

  • idiomdisappear

Example

他昨晚就在这儿，早上却不翼而飞了。tā zuó wǎn jiù zài zhèr zǎo shàng què bú yì ér fēi le

He was here last night, but he had disappeared by morning.

Illustration for 不翼而飞 (disappear)

More examples

会议结束后，那份报告就不翼而飞了。huì yì jié shù hòu nà fèn bào gào jiù bú yì ér fēi le

After the meeting ended, that report disappeared without a trace.

Core concept

A person or thing is suddenly gone, as if it left no path for anyone to follow.

Common phrases

  • 钱包不翼而飞qián bāo bú yì ér fēi

    wallet disappears without a trace

  • 合同不翼而飞hé tóng bú yì ér fēi

    contract disappears without a trace

  • 重要文件不翼而飞zhòng yào wén jiàn bú yì ér fēi

    important documents disappear without a trace

Similar words

无影无踪wú yǐng wú zōng: Vanish without leaving any trace or sign that shows where the person or thing went.
不知所踪bù zhī suǒ zōng: Become impossible to locate, leaving everyone unsure where the person or thing has gone.
销声匿迹xiāo shēng nì jì: Withdraw from public view by hiding all signs of presence and contact.
杳无音信yǎo wú yīn xìn: Remain out of contact for a long time, with no news about the person or thing.

Definition in Chinese

表示事物或人突然消失得无影无踪，常用于强调消失的突然性和无法追踪的状况。biǎo shì shì wù huò rén tū rán xiāo shī de wú yǐng wú zōng cháng yòng yú qiáng diào xiāo shī de tū rán xìng hé wú fǎ zhuī zōng de zhuàng kuàng

Word origin

不 (bù, "not") + 翼 (yì, "wing") + 而 (ér, "yet") + 飞 (fēi, "fly") pictures something flying without wings, a striking image for vanishing as if it flew away on its own.

Usage tips

  • In conversation, this vivid idiom can describe a lost object or a missing person, and its dramatic tone makes the account sound stronger than a plain statement of absence.

Other meanings

  • vanish suddenlyidiom
  • disappear without a traceidiom

Opposites

  • 浮出水面fú chū shuǐ miàncome to lightidiom
  • 有迹可循yǒu jì kě xúnbe traceableidiom

Word lists with this word