化险为夷

化險為夷

huàxiǎn-wéiyí

idiom HSK 7-9 #27,455

Meanings

HSK 7-9

幸好有人帮忙，他才化险为夷。

Xìnghǎo yǒurén bāngmáng, tā cái huàxiǎn-wéiyí.

Luckily someone helped, and he managed to avert disaster.

HSK 7-9

飞行员沉着冷静，最终化险为夷。

Fēixíngyuán chénzhuó lěngjìng, zuìzhōng huàxiǎn-wéiyí.

The pilot stayed calm and cool, and ultimately turned the danger into safety.

history

夷 originally referred to flat, level ground, hence safety. The idiom means to transform (化) a dangerous (险) situation into (为) a safe one (夷).

usage

Often used after narrow escapes or successful crisis management. Similar to English "dodged a bullet" but more formal.

化 huà

险 xiǎn

为 wéi

夷 yí