化险为夷

化險為夷

huàxiǎn-wéiyí

idiom HSK 7-9 #27,455

Meanings

幸好有人帮忙，他才化险为夷。

Xìnghǎo yǒurén bāngmáng, tā cái huàxiǎnwéiyí.

Luckily someone helped, and he managed to avert disaster.

飞行员沉着冷静，最终化险为夷。

Fēixíngyuán chénzhuó lěngjìng, zuìzhōng huàxiǎnwéiyí.

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