白云苍狗 — “White clouds become gray dogs”
白云苍狗 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “refers to the unpredictable and rapid changes in phenomena or situations, like white clouds turning into gray dogs in an instant; metaphor for the mutable nature of worldly affairs”. Literally, “White clouds become gray dogs”.
白云苍狗 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 白bái
- 云yún
- 苍cāng
- 狗gǒu
白云苍狗 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 白云苍狗
Origin and Story of 白云苍狗
During the Tang Dynasty, a scholar named Wang Jiyou lived in poverty. His wife, Ms. Liu, unable to endure their hardship, abandoned him.
Many people, unaware of the full circumstances, criticized Wang Jiyou. The renowned poet Du Fu, feeling that Wang Jiyou was wronged, wrote a poem titled "Lament."
In it, he included the lines, "Floating clouds in the sky resemble white garments; in an instant, they change like gray dogs." He used this imagery to express his deep sigh over the fickle and unpredictable nature of human affairs.
Idioms Related to 白云苍狗
Synonyms of 白云苍狗
Antonyms of 白云苍狗
More idioms starting with 白
- bái白dīng丁sú俗kè客Unlettered commoners; boorish people
- bái白yún云qīn亲shè舍missing one's parents, like white clouds over home
- bái白yún云gū孤fēi飞Longing for parents while away from home
- bái白yún云qīng青shě舍yearn for distant family or hometown
- bái白tù兔chì赤wū乌the moon and sun; passage of time
- bái白dāo刀zi子jìn进，，hóng红dāo刀zi子chū出fight to the death
- bái白huá华zhī之yuàn怨lament of a discarded woman
- bái白fà发dān丹xīn心loyal and true-hearted in old age
- bái白fà发xié偕lǎo老grow old together as a loving couple
- bái白fà发qiān千zhàng丈extreme grief or worry ages one rapidly
- bái白fà发pó婆suō娑flowing white hair
- bái白fà发zhū朱yán颜radiant elderly person
Questions about 白云苍狗
- What does 白云苍狗 mean?
- 白云苍狗 (bái yún cāng gǒu) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “refers to the unpredictable and rapid changes in phenomena or situations, like white clouds turning into gray dogs in an instant; metaphor for the mutable nature of worldly affairs”.
- How do you pronounce 白云苍狗?
- 白云苍狗 is pronounced bái yún cāng gǒu in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 白云苍狗 literally mean?
- Literally, 白云苍狗 means “White clouds become gray dogs”. It is used to mean “refers to the unpredictable and rapid changes in phenomena or situations, like white clouds turning into gray dogs in an instant; metaphor for the mutable nature of worldly affairs”.
- Where does 白云苍狗 come from?
- 白云苍狗 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 白云苍狗?
- 苍：灰白色。浮云象白衣裳，顷刻又变得象苍狗。比喻事物变化不定。