📖 Meaning
Literally 'wind flashing, thunder moving,' this idiom describes something that happens as swiftly as wind and thunder. It conveys extreme speed and unstoppable momentum, like a gust of wind and a clap of thunder arriving almost simultaneously.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from 'You Yuenan Ji' (Travels in Vietnam Record) by an anonymous Qing dynasty author. The text describes the foreign concession roads in Vietnam as well-organized, with horse-drawn carriages and Western-style vehicles coming and going in an endless stream, moving with the speed and force of wind and thunder. The vivid imagery of flashing wind and crashing thunder was used to convey the bustling, fast-paced traffic of the colonial-era streets.
💡 Example Usage
骑兵部队风掣雷行般冲入敌阵，转瞬便突破了防线。
The cavalry unit charged into the enemy formation with the speed of wind and thunder, breaking through the defensive line in an instant.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 风掣雷行
- Pinyin: fēng chè léi xíng
- Literal Translation: wind, flash, thunder, go
- Category: Action
- Characters: 4