风驰电掣 (fēng chí diàn chè) — at lightning speed; like a whirlwind

Definition

A vivid idiom for extreme speed — like the wind rushing and lightning flashing. Used to describe vehicles, movement, or progress, not people walking.

idiom

at lightning speedlike a whirlwind

风驰电掣。
Liè chē fēng chí diàn chè dì shǐ guò chē zhàn.
The train sped through the station at lightning speed.
风驰电掣。
Tā qí zhe mó tuō chē fēng chí diàn chè bān chōng le chū qù.
He dashed out on his motorcycle like lightning.
，。
Sài chē zài sài dào shàng fēng chí diàn chè, guān zhòng men xīng fèn bù yǐ.
The racing car sped around the track at lightning speed, and the audience was thrilled.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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 電; 电 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

雨雨yǔrain

Sound part声符shēngfú

申

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For the traditional form 電, 雨 (rain) sits with 申, read shēn and meaning lightning.

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

制手掣

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

制

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

掣 is built from 手 (hand) plus 制, which gives its sound.