📖 Meaning
Floating clouds and morning dew. A metaphor for the fleeting nature of time and the brevity of human life. It conveys the transience and impermanence of existence.
📜 Origin Story
From the Biography of Xiao Daguan in the Book of Zhou (周书), the official history of the Northern Zhou dynasty. Xiao Daguan, a descendant of the Liang dynasty imperial family, reflected on the impermanence of life, comparing human existence to floating clouds and morning dew that vanish quickly. He expressed that he had no desire to artificially prolong his life, accepting its ephemeral nature. The phrase has since been used to describe the brevity and transience of life.
💡 Example Usage
人生如浮云朝露，转瞬即逝，当珍惜眼前时光。
Life is like floating clouds and morning dew, gone in a flash—one should cherish the time before them.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 浮云朝露
- Pinyin: fú yún zhāo lù
- Literal Translation: floating clouds, morning dew
- Category: Philosophy
- Characters: 4