不翼而飛
Chinese edit
not; no | wing | and; as well as; but (not) and; as well as; but (not); yet (not); (shows causal relation); (shows change of state); (shows contrast) |
to fly | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
trad. (不翼而飛) | 不 | 翼 | 而 | 飛 | |
simp. (不翼而飞) | 不 | 翼 | 而 | 飞 | |
Literally: “to be wingless and yet flying or airborne”. |
Etymology edit
Chapter 26 of Guanzi:
Pronunciation edit
Idiom edit
不翼而飛
- (of news) to spread quickly; to spread like wildfire; to spread fast as if on wings
- (of an object) to disappear suddenly; to disappear without a trace; to vanish into thin air