bú不notyì翼wingsér而andfēi飞fly
To disappear without a trace; to vanish into thin air.
Literal meaning
not (不) — wings (翼) — and (而) — fly (飞)
Origin
A classical four-character phrase describing a sudden and mysterious disappearance.
Examples
wǒ de qiánbāo búyì'érfēi le.我的钱包不翼而飞了。
My wallet disappeared without a trace.
yáoyán búyì'érfēi.谣言不翼而飞。
The rumor spread like wildfire.
Usage & nuances
Often used to describe the disappearance of objects or the rapid spread of information.
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