📖 Meaning
Like the night-blooming cereus that blooms briefly and vanishes, this idiom describes things or people that appear only momentarily before quickly disappearing. The character 华 is an old variant of 花, meaning flower. It conveys the sense of something fleeting and ephemeral.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase comes from a poem by the Qing dynasty scholar Jing Dingcheng (景定成) in his work 'Elegy for the Young Performer Liu Zhensu' (稚伶刘箴俗哀词), Part III. The line reads: 'This ill-fated beauty turned tragic figure, like a night-blooming cereus appearing but once, provoking the world's wonder.' The night-blooming cereus (昙花) is famous for blooming for only a few hours at night before withering. Jing used this imagery to mourn a young performer whose talent and beauty were tragically short-lived.
💡 Example Usage
那位歌手只出过一首热门歌曲便销声匿迹，堪称一现昙华。
That singer released only one hit song before vanishing from the scene—a true flash in the pan.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 一现昙华
- Pinyin: yī xiàn tán huā
- Literal Translation: one, appear, night-blooming cereus, flower
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4