暴风骤雨 (bào fēng zhòu yǔ) — violent storm, hurricane, tempest; (figurative) a sudden and intense upheaval or movement (e.g., political revolution, social change)

Definition

A vivid chengyu-style phrase for a violent, sudden storm; figuratively, a fierce upheaval like a revolution. Pairs with 比喻 markers 如…般; 风暴 is the plain noun for 'storm/crisis.'

phrase
violent stormhurricanetempest(figurative) a sudden and intense upheaval or movement (e.g., political revolution, social change)

Examples

  • 暴风骤雨。
    Zhè chǎng bào fēng zhòu yǔ bǎ hěn duō shù dōu chuī dǎo le.
    This violent storm blew down many trees.
  • 暴风骤雨。
    Gé mìng rú bào fēng zhòu yǔ bān xí juǎn le zhěng gè guó jiā.
    The revolution swept across the entire country like a tempest.
  • 暴风骤雨，。
    Zài bào fēng zhòu yǔ miàn qián, rén men bì xū tuán jié yí zhì.
    In the face of a violent storm, people must unite as one.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

暴风violent wind
暴bàoviolent风fēngwind
偏正Modifier + head
骤雨sudden rain
骤zhòusudden雨yǔrain
偏正Modifier + head

暴 “violent” + 风 “wind” and 骤 “sudden” + 雨 “rain” describe a fierce storm.

Characters in this word

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

The earliest form paired 虎 and 戈, a tiger and a weapon. The later 暴 came from a picture of hands drying something in the sun.

Open 暴 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 风 →

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 驟; 骤 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
馬馬mǎhorse
Sound part声符shēngfú
聚
聚jù驟zhòu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 驟 uses 馬 to show the idea of a horse and 聚 for its sound; the simplified 骤 is a later shorthand.

Open 骤 →

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

The shape 雨 is an old picture of a cloud with rain drops falling from it; the top line was added later.

Open 雨 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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