biàn变changehuàn幻shiftmò莫notcè测fathom
Unpredictable; capricious; fickle.
Literal meaning
change (变) — shift (幻) — not (莫) — fathom (测)
Origin
A classical four-character phrase describing something that is difficult to foresee.
Examples
tiānqì biànhuàn-mòcè.天气变幻莫测。
The weather is unpredictable.
tā de qíngxù biànhuàn-mòcè.他的情绪变幻莫测。
His emotions are fickle.
Usage & nuances
Often used to describe weather, emotions, or political situations.
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