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不翼而飞

bù yì ér fēi

HSK 7–9

Meaning

  • to disappear without trace
  • to vanish all of a sudden
  • to spread fast
  • to spread like wildfire

Definition

没有翅膀却飞走了。比喻东西突然丢失或消息、言论等迅速传播开来。

To disappear without a trace; to vanish into thin air; to spread quickly (of news, rumors, etc.).

Usage

多用于形容物品突然丢失，或消息、流言等不胫而走，迅速传开。

Often used to describe objects that mysteriously disappear, or news, rumors that spread rapidly without any obvious means.

Examples

  • 1 我的钱包放在桌上，一转眼就不翼而飞了。(My wallet was on the table, and it vanished in an instant.)
  • 2 这个消息不翼而飞，很快全公司都知道了。(The news spread like wildfire, and soon the whole company knew about it.)
  • 3 他刚买的新手机不翼而飞，急得团团转。(His new phone disappeared into thin air, making him frantic.)
  • 4 关于他辞职的谣言不翼而飞，传遍整个行业。(The rumor about his resignation spread rapidly across the industry.)
  • 5 书架上的那本珍藏书不翼而飞，找了好久都没找到。(That rare book on the shelf vanished without a trace, and we searched for it for a long time without success.)

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