捕风捉影

捕風捉影

bǔfēng-zhuōyǐng

idiom #28,300

Meanings

1 to chase the wind and clutch at shadows
2 to make groundless accusations
3 to act on hearsay without evidence

Characters

to catch; to capture

to catch; to grab

Examples

他的指控完全是捕风捉影，没有任何证据。

Tā de zhǐkòng wánquán shì bǔfēngzhuōyǐng, méiyǒu rènhé zhèngjù.

His accusations were completely groundless, without any evidence.

不要捕风捉影，应该等证据确凿了再下结论。

Bùyào bǔfēngzhuōyǐng, yīnggāi děng zhèngjùquèzáo le zài xiàjiélùn.

Don't make groundless accusations; you should wait until the evidence is solid before drawing conclusions.

Tips

memory

Imagine literally trying to catch (捕/捉) wind (风) and shadows (影) — things that simply cannot be grasped. This vividly captures the futility of claims with no basis in reality.

Stroke Order

捕 bǔ

风 fēng

捉 zhuō

影 yǐng