风云突变

風雲突變

fēngyúntūbiàn

idiom

Meanings

1 sudden upheaval
2 the situation changes abruptly

Characters

Examples

国际局势风云突变。

Guójì júshì fēngyún tūbiàn.

The international situation has shifted abruptly.

股市风云突变，投资者损失惨重。

Gǔshì fēngyún tūbiàn, tóuzīzhě sǔnshī cǎnzhòng.

The stock market turned on a dime and investors suffered heavy losses.

Tips

usage

风云 (wind and clouds) is a long-standing metaphor for political/military situations. This phrase is near-exclusive to news and editorial register.

Stroke Order

风 fēng

云 yún

突 tū

变 biàn