晴天霹雳 (qíng tiān pī lì) — (idiom) a bolt from the blue; a sudden, shocking turn of events (usually negative)
Definition
A chengyu meaning a sudden, shocking piece of bad news — literally 'thunderclap from a clear sky'. Used for unexpected misfortune, not neutral surprises.
idiom
a bolt from the bluea suddenshocking turn of events (usually negative)
Examples
- 晴天霹雳。Zhè ge xiāo xi duì tā lái shuō zhēn shì qíng tiān pī lì.This news was really a bolt from the blue for him.
- 晴天霹雳。Gōng sī dǎo bì de xiāo xi xiàng qíng tiān pī lì yí yàng ràng dà jiā wú fǎ jiē shòu.The news of the company's bankruptcy hit everyone like a bolt from the blue — they couldn't accept it.
- ，晴天霹雳。Tā tū rán tí chū lí hūn, duì zhàng fu lái shuō wú yì yú qíng tiān pī lì.Her sudden request for divorce was no less than a bolt from the blue to her husband.
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