翻雲覆雨

Chinese

		flit about; translate; turn over	cloud; Yunnan (abbrev.); surname	to cover; to overflow; to reply to a letter to cover; to overflow; to reply to a letter; to overturn; to capsize	rain
trad. (翻雲覆雨)		翻	雲	覆	雨
simp. (翻云覆雨)		翻	云	覆	雨

Etymology

From a line in 《貧交行》 by Du Fu (杜甫):

翻手作雲覆手雨，紛紛輕薄何須數？ [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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翻手作云覆手雨，纷纷轻薄何须数？ [Classical Chinese, simp.]

Fānshǒu zuò yún fùshǒu yǔ, fēnfēn qīngbó héxū shù? [Pinyin]

(please add an English translation of this usage example)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): fānyúnfùyǔ

  (Zhuyin): ㄈㄢ ㄩㄣˊ ㄈㄨˋ ㄩˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): faan¹ wan⁴ fuk¹ jyu⁵

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: fānyúnfùyǔ
    • Zhuyin: ㄈㄢ ㄩㄣˊ ㄈㄨˋ ㄩˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: fanyúnfùyǔ
    • Wade–Giles: fan¹-yün²-fu⁴-yü³
    • Yale: fān-yún-fù-yǔ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: fanyunfuhyeu
    • Palladius: фаньюньфуюй (fanʹjunʹfujuj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /fän⁵⁵ yn³⁵ fu⁵¹ y²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: faan¹ wan⁴ fuk¹ jyu⁵
    • Yale: fāan wàhn fūk yúh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: faan¹ wan⁴ fuk⁷ jy⁵
    • Guangdong Romanization: fan¹ wen⁴ fug¹ yu⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /faːn⁵⁵ wɐn²¹ fʊk̚⁵ jyː¹³/

Idiom

翻雲覆雨

1. (figurative) to be fickle; to shift one's grounds constantly
2. (figurative) to play politics; to be tricky
3. (figurative) to make love