昙花一现

曇花一現

tánhuā-yīxiàn

idiom #33,845

Meanings

1 a brief, fleeting appearance
2 a flash in the pan
3 short-lived like the udumbara flower

Characters

(in 昙花) udumbara flower

Examples

HSK 3

他的成功只是昙花一现。

Tā de chénggōng zhǐshì tánhuā-yīxiàn.

His success was just a flash in the pan.

HSK 6

这股流行风潮昙花一现，很快就消失了。

Zhè gǔ liúxíng fēngcháo tánhuā-yīxiàn, hěnkuài jiù xiāoshī le.

This fashion trend was a brief flash. It quickly faded away.

HSK 6

许多网红都是昙花一现，难以长久走红。

Xǔduō wǎnghóng dōu shì tánhuā-yīxiàn, nányǐ chángjiǔ zǒuhóng.

Many internet celebrities are one-hit wonders who can't stay popular for long.

Tips

history

From the 《妙法莲华经·方便品》 (Lotus Sutra): 如优昙钵花，时一现耳 - 'like the udumbara flower, which appears only once in an age.' In Buddhist lore, the udumbara blooms once every 3,000 years; 昙花 in modern Chinese refers to the night-blooming cereus, which opens for only a few hours after dark.

culture

The night-blooming cereus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) is still called 昙花 in Chinese and is widely cultivated - its brief bloom is a popular subject for nature photography.

Stroke Order

昙 tán

花 huā

一 yī

现 xiàn