不翼而飞 búyì’érfēi to disappear without trace
to disappear without trace; to vanish all of a sudden; to spread fast; to spread like wildfire
How to remember 不翼而飞: 不 not + 翼 wings + 而 and yet + 飞 to fly = to disappear without trace.
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How it is used
- Literally 'flew off without wings' - something vanishes mysteriously - 我的钱包不翼而飞 (wǒ de qiánbāo búyì'érfēi) my wallet disappeared into thin air.
- The core use is objects going missing inexplicably (often implying theft); a secondary sense is news spreading fast.
- Vivid and written in flavor; pick it over plain 不见了 when you want to stress the baffling, sudden disappearance.