每天成语
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风云突变

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: fēng yún tū biàn
  • English Translation: A sudden change in the situation (like wind and clouds changing suddenly)
  • Idiom Composition: 「风云」（Wind and clouds; metaphorically refers to an unstable or changing situation or the 'climate' of the times.）＋「突」（Suddenly or abruptly.）＋「变」（To change or transform.）
  • Meaning: A sudden and dramatic change in a situation, typically referring to political, social, or large-scale circumstances that shift from calm to turbulent or critical.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「风云突变」 contains the following nuances:

  • Large-scale Situational Shifts: Used for changes on a grand scale, such as national affairs, international relations, or entire markets, rather than minor personal matters.
  • Tension and Premonition: Often carries a sense of tension or an ominous atmosphere, similar to the feeling of an approaching storm.

3. Usage

「风云突变」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Politics and International Relations: A formal expression most frequently used in news or historical contexts to describe the outbreak of war, regime changes, or deteriorating diplomatic relations.
    • Example:「国际局势风云突变，各国纷纷加强了边境防御。」
      （The international situation suddenly took a turn for the worse, and countries began strengthening their border defenses.)
  • Business and Market Environment: Used when the business environment undergoes unpredictable changes, such as a stock market crash or a radical shift in industry rules.
    • Example:「随着新技术的发布，整个行业的竞争格局风云突变。」
      （With the release of new technology, the competitive landscape of the entire industry shifted dramatically.)
  • Sports and Match Momentum: Describes a dramatic turn of events in a game where the leading team suddenly loses its advantage.
    • Example:「下半场场上形势风云突变，客队连进两球反超了比分。」
      （In the second half, the momentum of the game changed abruptly, and the away team scored two goals in a row to take the lead.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 那一年，国内政坛风云突变，许多高官相继落马。
    （That year, the domestic political scene underwent a sudden upheaval, and many high-ranking officials were removed from power.）
  2. 面对风云突变的市场环境，企业必须具备快速反应的能力。
    （Facing a rapidly changing market environment, companies must possess the ability to react quickly.）
  3. 原本平静的海面突然狂风大作，真是天有不测风云，风云突变。
    （The originally calm sea suddenly turned into a violent storm; truly, 'heaven has unpredictable winds,' and the situation changed in an instant.）
  4. 就在谈判即将达成一致时，情况风云突变，对方提出了新的苛刻条件。
    （Just as the negotiations were about to reach an agreement, the situation took a sudden turn, and the other party proposed new, harsh conditions.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • The phrase is famously used in a poem by Mao Zedong (毛泽东) titled 'Qing Ping Yue: Jiang-Gui War' (清平乐·蒋桂战争), which describes the sudden outbreak of conflict between warlords. This cemented its use for political and military upheavals.
  • The term 风云 (fēng yún), literally 'wind and clouds,' is a classic Chinese metaphor for the 'climate' of a situation or the unpredictable nature of power and events.
  • This is a formal idiom (成语, chéngyǔ) frequently found in news reports, historical novels, and business analysis. It is rarely used in casual conversation to describe personal moods.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

风云突变 (fēng yún tū biàn) describes a sudden, drastic shift in a macro-level situation, such as in politics, military affairs, or business. It implies a transition from stability to crisis or chaos. It is a formal expression and is generally not used for minor personal changes.

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Level 1

Idiom Essay

fēng yún
风云
tū biàn
突变
A Sudden Change in the Situation
nǐ你kàn看guò过xià tiān夏天de的tiān kōng天空ma吗？

Have you ever looked at the summer sky?

shàng上yī kè一刻hái shì还是yáng guāng míng mèi阳光明媚，lán tiān蓝天bái yún白云；xià下yī kè一刻，tū rán突然wū yún乌云mì bù密布，kuáng fēng狂风dà zuò大作。

One moment it is sunny with blue skies and white clouds; the next, dark clouds suddenly gather and strong winds howl.

zhè zhǒng这种shí hòu时候，nǎ pà哪怕yǔ雨hái还méi没xià下xià lái下来，nǐ你yě也néng能gǎn shòu感受dào到kōng qì空气lǐ里nà zhǒng那种jǐn zhāng紧张yā yì压抑de的wèi dào味道。

At such times, even if the rain hasn't fallen yet, you can feel a tense and oppressive atmosphere in the air.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个chéng yǔ成语，jiè yòng借用le了zhè zhǒng这种zì rán自然jǐng xiàng景象，lái来xíng róng形容jú shì局势de的jù liè剧烈biàn huà变化，jiào叫“fēng yún tū biàn风云突变”。

In Chinese, there is an idiom that uses this natural phenomenon to describe a drastic change in a situation, called 风云突变.

“fēng yún风云”，zhǐ指de的shì是fēng风hé和yún云，zài在zhè lǐ这里bǐ yù比喻dà大de的jú shì局势huò或qì fēn气氛；“tū biàn突变”，jiù shì就是tū rán突然fā shēng发生le了gǎi biàn改变。

风云 refers to wind and clouds, serving here as a metaphor for a major situation or atmosphere; 突变 means a sudden change has occurred.

hé合zài在yì qǐ一起，tā它xíng róng形容de的shì是yī zhǒng一种ràng让rén人cuò shǒu bù jí措手不及de的zhuǎn zhé转折。

Taken together, it describes a turn of events that catches people off guard.

qǐng请zhù yì注意，zhè ge这个cí词de的fèn liàng分量hěn很zhòng重。

Please note that this phrase carries a lot of weight.

wǒ men我们yì bān一般bú huì不会yòng用tā它lái来xíng róng形容shēng huó生活lǐ里suǒ suì琐碎de的xiǎo小yì wài意外，bǐ rú比如shǒu jī手机huài坏le了，huò zhě或者gōng chē公车wǎn diǎn晚点。

We generally do not use it to describe trivial accidents in daily life, such as a broken phone or a late bus.

“fēng yún tū biàn风云突变”xíng róng形容de的，tōng cháng通常shì是nà xiē那些yuán běn原本kàn qǐ lái看起来hěn很píng jìng平静、hěn很wěn dìng稳定de的jú miàn局面，tū rán突然bèi被dǎ pò打破le了。

风云突变 usually describes situations that originally seemed very calm and stable but were suddenly shattered.

yě xǔ也许shì是yí gè一个yuán běn原本hé píng和平de的dì qū地区，tū rán突然bào fā爆发le了chōng tū冲突；yě xǔ也许shì是yí gè一个yuán běn原本fán róng繁荣de的háng yè行业，yīn wèi因为yī xiàng一项xīn jì shù新技术de的chū xiàn出现，tū rán突然xiàn rù陷入le了wēi jī危机；yòu又huò zhě或者shì是yí gè一个rén人yuán běn原本shùn lì顺利de的mìng yùn命运，yīn wèi因为mǒu gè某个tū fā shì jiàn突发事件，yī xià zi一下子diē跌rù入gǔ dǐ谷底。

It might be a peaceful region where conflict suddenly erupts; it might be a prosperous industry that suddenly falls into crisis due to a new technology; or it might be a person's smooth fate that suddenly hits rock bottom because of an unexpected event.

zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语zuì最ràng让rén人gǎn kǎi感慨de的dì fāng地方，qí shí其实bù不zài yú在于“biàn变”，ér而zài yú在于“tū突”。

The most poignant part of this idiom is not actually 变, but 突.

tā它tí xǐng提醒wǒ men我们，hěn duō很多shí hòu时候，píng jìng平静kě néng可能zhǐ shì只是yī zhǒng一种zàn shí暂时de的zhuàng tài状态。

It reminds us that, many times, calmness may only be a temporary state.

dāng当nǐ你jué de觉得yī qiè一切dōu都zài在zhǎng kòng掌控zhōng中de的shí hòu时候，wài jiè外界de的huán jìng环境kě néng可能yǐ jīng已经zài在qiāo qiāo悄悄yùn niàng酝酿zhe着yī cháng一场fēng bào风暴。

When you feel everything is under control, the external environment may already be quietly brewing a storm.

suǒ yǐ所以，tīng dào听到“fēng yún tū biàn风云突变”shí时，wǒ men我们gǎn shòu感受dào到de的wǎng wǎng往往bù jǐn不仅shì是jīng yà惊讶，hái yǒu还有yī zhǒng一种duì对shí jú时局de的jìng wèi敬畏。

Therefore, when we hear 风云突变, what we feel is often not just surprise, but also a sense of awe toward the current state of affairs.

suī rán虽然wǒ men我们wú fǎ无法kòng zhì控制fēng yún风云hé shí何时biàn sè变色，dàn但zhè ge这个cí词zhì shǎo至少ràng让wǒ men我们zhī dào知道：zài在zhè ge这个shì jiè世界shàng上，wéi yī唯一bù biàn不变de的，kě néng可能jiù shì就是biàn huà变化běn shēn本身。

Although we cannot control when the wind and clouds change color, this phrase at least lets us know: in this world, the only constant may be change itself.

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