TongTong
Sign in

摇身一变 (yáo shēn yī biàn) — (idiom) to suddenly change one's identity or appearance (often deceptively)

Definition

A chengyu meaning 'to suddenly change identity or appearance', usually with a hint of deception or self-reinvention. Often carries a negative tone, implying the change is not genuine.

idiom
to suddenly change one's identity or appearance (often deceptively)

Examples

  • ，摇身一变。
    Tā yǐ qián shì gè pǔ tōng gōng rén, yáo shēn yī biàn chéng le lǎo bǎn.
    He used to be an ordinary worker and suddenly transformed into a boss.
  • ，摇身一变。
    Nà jiā gōng sī běn lái shì gè xiǎo diàn, xiàn zài yáo shēn yī biàn biàn chéng le kuà guó gōng sī.
    That company was originally a small store and now has transformed into a multinational corporation.
  • ，摇身一变。
    Zhè wèi yǎn yuán qù cān jiā jìng xuǎn, yáo shēn yī biàn chéng le zhèng zhì rén wù.
    This actor ran for office and suddenly became a political figure.

Origin

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 摇 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 身 comes from a drawing of a pregnant woman.

Open 身 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

Open 一 →

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 變; 变 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攴攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
䜌
䜌䜌變biàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 變 uses 䜌 as a sound part and 攴 as a meaning part.

Open 变 →
Appears in
Change & ProcessIdioms & Set Phrases

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.