📖 Meaning
A metaphor for a turbulent and highly unstable situation. It likens precarious circumstances to a small boat tossing in a storm, describing shaky prospects or an insecure position.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase comes from the Qing dynasty work 'Xu Banqiao Zaji' (续板桥杂记) by Zhuquan Jushi (珠泉居士), in the section titled 'Lipin' (丽品). In the eleventh lunar month of the renyin year, the author stopped by to visit an old acquaintance on his travels; although the seats were still full of guests as in former days, the times had grown stormy and unsettled, and he gradually felt that the youthful beauty of the past was no more.
💡 Example Usage
王朝风雨飘飖之际，他毅然挺身而出。
As the dynasty tossed in the storm of upheaval, he resolutely stepped forward.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 风雨飘飖
- Pinyin: fēng yǔ piāo yáo
- Literal Translation: wind, rain, drift, sway
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4