千变万化 qiān biàn wàn huà
ever-changing; endless variations
Literally: thousand changes ten-thousand transformations
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Origin
From the Liezi: a craftsman presents King Mu of Zhou with a mechanical man whose movements were endlessly varied.
How to use it
Predicate or attributive; neutral. Often 千变万化的天气/云.
Example sentences
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- 山上的天气千变万化,一会儿晴一会儿雨。Shān shàng de tiānqì qiān biàn wàn huà, yīhuìr qíng yīhuìr yǔ.The weather in the mountains is ever-changing, sunny one moment and raining the next.mountain on (particle) weather thousand changes ten-thousand transformations, a-while clear a-while rain
- 天上的云千变万化,有时像马,有时像鱼。Tiān shàng de yún qiān biàn wàn huà, yǒushí xiàng mǎ, yǒushí xiàng yú.The clouds in the sky keep changing shape, sometimes like a horse, sometimes like a fish.sky on (particle) cloud thousand changes ten-thousand transformations, sometimes like horse, sometimes like fish
More chengyu about time & change
- 不知不觉bù zhī bù juéunconsciously; before one knows it
- 一天到晚yī tiān dào wǎnall day long; from morning till night
- 三天两头sān tiān liǎng tóuevery few days; constantly
- 一年四季yī nián sì jìall year round; throughout the year
- 从早到晚cóng zǎo dào wǎnfrom morning till night; the whole day
- 日新月异rì xīn yuè yìchanging with each passing day; rapid progress
- 争分夺秒zhēng fēn duó miǎoto race against time; make every second count
- 一朝一夕yī zhāo yī xīin a single day; overnight (usually in the negative)