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过眼云烟

guò yǎn yún yāndictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
(idiom) passing mist and clouds (metaphor for sth fleeting)
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-8f376f7e9c5d732a. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

過眼雲煙 过眼云烟 [guo4 yan3 yun2 yan1] /(idiom) passing mist and clouds (metaphor for sth fleeting)/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

Other forms in these source records: 過眼雲煙

  • 过
    guò

    to cross / to go over / to pass (time) / to celebrate (a holiday) / to live / to get along / excessively / too-

    guo

    (experienced action marker)

    Guō

    surname Guo

  • 眼
    yǎn

    eye (CL:隻|只[zhī],雙|双[shuāng]) / (often used with 一[yī]) a look; a glance / small hole / (bound form) salient point / classifier for wells, cave-dwellings etc

  • 云
    yún

    (classical) to say / cloud / CL:朵[duǒ]

    Yún

    surname Yun / short name for Yunnan 雲南|云南[Yún nán]

  • 烟
    yān

    cigarette or pipe tobacco / CL:根[gēn] / smoke / mist / vapour / CL:縷|缕[lǚ] / tobacco plant / (of the eyes) to be irritated by smoke / tobacco (variant of 煙|烟[yān])

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.