风云 fēngyún weather
weather; unstable situation
How to remember 风云: 风 wind + 云 cloud = weather.
Characters
How it is used
- Lit. 'wind and clouds' - figuratively a fast-changing, turbulent situation - 国际风云 (guójì fēngyún) the shifting international scene; 风云人物 (fēngyún rénwù) a prominent figure of the hour.
- Rarely literal weather; the metaphor is volatility and drama on the grand stage.
- 风云变幻 (fēngyún biànhuàn) = a rapidly changing situation, a common set phrase.