# 风雨飘摇

fēng yǔ piāo yáo

Be unstable and threatened by adversity

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Sway in wind and rain

**Traditional Chinese:** 風雨飄搖

**Register:** Standard · expressive

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

## When to use it

Describe a fragile institution or situation under pressure.

Usually figurative, beyond ordinary bad weather.

## Understanding the expression

Wind and rain buffet something that cannot hold steady. The expression describes instability caused by repeated external pressures or serious internal weakness. A company, government, or family arrangement may appear close to collapse. The emphasis is vulnerability rather than change alone. Identifying the pressures makes the picture useful: debt, conflict, or loss of support may require different responses. The phrase does not prove collapse is inevitable if support and repairs can restore stability.

## Examples

负债让公司风雨飘摇。

### Traditional Chinese

負債讓公司風雨飄搖。

fù zhài ràng gōng sī fēng yǔ piāo yáo 。

Debt left the company unstable and vulnerable.

那段婚姻在争吵中风雨飘摇。

### Traditional Chinese

那段婚姻在爭吵中風雨飄搖。

nà duàn hūn yīn zài zhēng chǎo zhōng fēng yǔ piāo yáo 。

That marriage became precarious amid arguments.

联盟失去支持，风雨飘摇。

### Traditional Chinese

聯盟失去支持，風雨飄搖。

lián méng shī qù zhī chí ， fēng yǔ piāo yáo 。

The alliance lost support and became unstable.

资助到位后，风雨飘摇的学校终于稳住了。

### Traditional Chinese

資助到位後，風雨飄搖的學校終於穩住了。

zī zhù dào wèi hòu ， fēng yǔ piāo yáo de xué xiào zhōng yú wěn zhù le 。

New funding finally stabilized the struggling school.

## 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=%E9%A2%A8%E9%9B%A8%E9%A3%84%E6%90%96)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=968&webMd=1&la=0)

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