# 不翼而飞

bù yì ér fēi

Disappear mysteriously or spread rapidly

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Fly away without wings

**Traditional Chinese:** 不翼而飛

**Register:** Descriptive · general

[Change & possibility](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/change)

## When to use it

Describe a missing object, or news spreading unexpectedly fast.

Clarify which sense applies; disappearance does not prove theft.

## Understanding the expression

Something without wings somehow flies away, creating surprise at movement that was not observed. Most everyday uses describe an object that suddenly cannot be found. The expression can also describe information spreading quickly without an obvious messenger. Neither sense establishes the cause. A missing wallet may be misplaced rather than stolen, and fast-spreading news may still be false. The sentence should distinguish the observed disappearance or circulation from assumptions about who caused it.

## Examples

桌上的钥匙不翼而飞。

### Traditional Chinese

桌上的鑰匙不翼而飛。

zhuō shàng de yào shi bù yì ér fēi 。

The keys on the table mysteriously vanished.

消息不翼而飞，很快传遍全校。

### Traditional Chinese

消息不翼而飛，很快傳遍全校。

xiāo xī bù yì ér fēi ， hěn kuài chuán biàn quán xiào 。

The news spread quickly throughout the school.

存档文件突然不翼而飞。

### Traditional Chinese

存檔文件突然不翼而飛。

cún dàng wén jiàn tū rán bù yì ér fēi 。

The archived file suddenly disappeared.

午饭不翼而飞，后来发现被放进了冰箱。

### Traditional Chinese

午飯不翼而飛，後來發現被放進了冰箱。

wǔ fàn bù yì ér fēi ， hòu lái fā xiàn bèi fàng jìn le bīng xiāng 。

Lunch vanished, then turned up in the fridge.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E4%B8%8D%E7%BF%BC%E8%80%8C%E9%A3%9B)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=532&webMd=1&la=0)

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