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烟消云散 (yān xiāo yún sàn) — (idiom) to vanish without a trace, to completely disappear (of emotions, problems, etc.)

Definition

Idiom meaning something disappears completely and instantly, like smoke and clouds vanishing. Used for emotions, worries, misunderstandings, or doubts that are fully gone.

idiom
to vanish without a traceto completely disappear (of emotions, problems, etc.)

Examples

  • ，烟消云散。
    Tīng dào tā de jiě shì, wǒ de wù huì quán dōu yān xiāo yún sàn le.
    After hearing his explanation, all my misunderstandings vanished.
  • ，烟消云散，。
    Hē wán jiǔ, tā de fán nǎo zàn shí yān xiāo yún sàn, dàn dì èr tiān yòu huí lái le.
    After drinking, his worries temporarily disappeared, but they came back the next day.
  • 烟消云散。
    Xī wàng zhè xiē bù yú kuài de shì qing néng zǎo rì yān xiāo yún sàn.
    I hope these unpleasant matters can soon vanish.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

烟消smoke vanishes
烟yānsmoke消xiāovanishes
主谓Subject + predicate
云散clouds scatter
云yúncloud散sànscatters
主谓Subject + predicate

烟 “smoke” 消 “vanishes” and 云 “cloud” 散 “scatters” mean disappearing completely.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 煙; 烟 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 烟 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (烟) it is 煙; in others it is 菸.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
火火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
垔
垔yīn煙yān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

This story is about the traditional form 煙, not the simplified 烟. It pairs 火, fire, with 垔, which gives the sound.

Open 烟 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
肖
肖xiào消xiāo
Same sound today

消 has 氵 (water) beside 肖. The water part connects to putting out or making something vanish, and 肖 gives the sound.

Open 消 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 雲; 云 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 雲 is 雨 (rain) plus 云; 云 was the original writing for 'cloud', and 雨 was added to separate it from the borrowed sense 'to say'.

Open 云 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 林林líntrees, forest
  • 攴攴pūto knock, to tap

散 combines 林 (trees or forest) and 攴 (to knock or tap), originally showing knocking to clear vegetation, later extended to breaking up or dispersing.

Open 散 →
Appears in
Change & ProcessIdioms & Set Phrases

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