CHENGYU
不翼而飞(bù yì ér fēi)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- neutral
- Source:
- 《管子·戒》
MEANING
- Literal
- to fly away without wings
- Figurative meaning
- to vanish into thin air
ORIGIN STORY
The Guanzi says: "That which flies without wings is rumor." The phrase began as praise of how words spread faster than birds. Today it has shifted ground — to things, not rumors, that disappear mysteriously.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“to vanish into thin air”
EXAMPLES
我刚放在桌上的钱包不翼而飞了。Wǒ gāng fàng zài zhuō shàng de qiánbāo bù yì ér fēi le.HSK6
The wallet I just put on the table has flown off without wings.
消息不翼而飞，很快传遍了全城。Xiāoxi bù yì ér fēi, hěn kuài chuán biàn le quán chéng.HSK6
The news flew without wings and spread across the city.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: The original sense is news spreading fast; the modern sense is things vanishing — both are current.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
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TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01