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泡影 (pào yǐng) — (figurative) something illusory and short-lived; a shattered hope

Definition

Literally 'bubble and shadow' — used only figuratively for a hope or plan that has dissolved into nothing. Almost always appears after 成/化为/变成 to mean 'come to nothing'.

noun
(figurative) something illusory and short-liveda shattered hope

Examples

  • 泡影。
    Suǒ yǒu de nǔ lì zuì zhōng dōu huà wéi pào yǐng.
    All the efforts ultimately turned into nothing.
  • 泡影，。
    Tā de mèng xiǎng jiù xiàng yí gè pào yǐng, hěn kuài jiù xiāo shī le.
    His dream was like a bubble — it vanished quickly.
  • 泡影。
    Nà ge jì huà chè dǐ chéng le pào yǐng.
    That plan completely fell apart.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

泡pàobubble
影yǐngshadow

泡 (bubble) and 影 (shadow) together suggest something illusory and short-lived.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
包
包bāo泡pào
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

泡 combines 氵 (water) and 包, which supplies the sound. It conveys foam.

Open 泡 →

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
彡彡shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
景
景jǐng影yǐng
Same sound today

影 pairs 景, which gives the sound and also carries the idea of image, with 彡, the part that points to shadow.

Open 影 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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