昙花一现 (tán huā yī xiàn) — to bloom briefly; (figurative) short-lived, fleeting (of success, fame, etc.)

Definition

Literally 'the night-blooming cereus blooms for a moment' — used for things (fame, trends, success) that flash brightly and vanish quickly. Negative sense: a brief, unlasting glory.

idiom
to bloom briefly(figurative) short-livedfleeting (of success, fame, etc.)

Examples

  • 昙花一现，。
    Tā de chéng gōng zhǐ shì tán huā yī xiàn, hěn kuài jiù bèi rén wàng jì le.
    His success was just a flash in the pan; he was soon forgotten.
  • 昙花一现，。
    Zhè zhǒng shí shàng jiù shì tán huā yī xiàn, liú xíng bù liǎo duō jiǔ.
    This kind of fashion is just a fleeting trend; it won't last long.
  • 昙花一现，。
    Nà ge míng xīng de shì yè rú tán huā yī xiàn, zhī huī huáng le yì nián.
    That celebrity's career was like a fleeting flower, brilliant for only one year.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 曇; 昙 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 曇 combines 日 (sun) and 雲 (clouds), as a sun behind clouds; the simplified 昙 is a later shorthand.

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss; plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
化
化huà花
Same sound today

花 pairs 艹 (grass; plant) with 化, which gives the sound.

Open 花 →

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 現; 现 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
玉玉yùjade
Sound part声符shēngfú
見
見jiàn現
Same sound today

The traditional form 現 pairs 玉 (jade) with 見 as a sound part; the simplified 现 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical parts.

Open 现 →

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