翻手为云，覆手为雨 — “To be fickle and changeable”
翻手为云，覆手为雨 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be fickle and changeable”. To blow hot and cold; to be manipulative and unpredictable. Literally, “Turn hand into cloud, flip hand into rain”.
翻手为云，覆手为雨 Pronunciation and Pinyin
翻手为云，覆手为雨 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 翻手为云，覆手为雨
Origin and Story of 翻手为云，覆手为雨
During the Tang Dynasty, the poet Du Fu lived through a period when the prosperous Tang era was declining. He deeply felt the cold reality and superficial human relationships within the upper class, witnessing much deceit and manipulation.
This made him recall the genuine friendship between Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya from the Spring and Autumn period. Reflecting on the past to comment on the present, he spontaneously composed 'Song of Poor Friends,' which contains the lines: 'Turn hand into cloud, flip hand into rain; how many fickle and frivolous people are there to count?'
Idioms Related to 翻手为云，覆手为雨
Synonyms of 翻手为云，覆手为雨
More idioms starting with 翻
- fān翻chún唇nòng弄shé舌sow discord with manipulative words
- fān翻fù复wú无cháng常erratic and unpredictable
- fān翻tiān天zuò作dì地cause a great uproar
- fān翻tiān天fù覆dì地tremendous, fundamental, earth-shattering changes
- fān翻tiān天cù蹙dì地overwhelming power or swift mighty force
- fān翻shān山shè涉shuǐ水travel over mountains and waters
- fān翻shān山yuè越lǐng岭traverse mountains and cross ridges
- fān翻shān山yuè越shuǐ水traveling over mountains and rivers
- fān翻shǒu手wèi为yún云fickle and unpredictable
- fān翻shǒu手wèi为yún云fù覆shǒu手yǔ雨fickle and manipulative
- fān翻shǒu手yún云fù覆shǒu手yǔ雨fickle and changeable
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Open the tool →Questions about 翻手为云，覆手为雨
What does 翻手为云，覆手为雨 mean?
翻手为云，覆手为雨 (fān shǒu wèi yún ， fù shǒu wèi yǔ) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be fickle and changeable”.
How do you pronounce 翻手为云，覆手为雨?
翻手为云，覆手为雨 is pronounced fān shǒu wèi yún ， fù shǒu wèi yǔ in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 翻手为云，覆手为雨 literally mean?
Literally, 翻手为云，覆手为雨 means “Turn hand into cloud, flip hand into rain”. It is used to mean “to be fickle and changeable”.
Where does 翻手为云，覆手为雨 come from?
翻手为云，覆手为雨 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to the modern era. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 翻手为云，覆手为雨?
形容人反复无常或惯于耍手段。