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How to Say ‘Everything is fleeting’ in Simplified Chinese

神马都是浮云

💬 Usage Tip: Means 'everything is floating clouds'. Indicates that things are transient and not to be worried about.

🇨🇳 In China: Frequently used to provide comfort under pressure or disappointment, reminding people of life's temporary nature.

Phrase Breakdown

神马

what horse

A playful way to say 'what', questioning the importance of something.

Example

这是什么马?

What horse is this?

都是

all are

Indicates that everything being discussed belongs to the same category.

Example

我们都是学生。

We are all students.

浮云

floating clouds

An expression implying that something is transient or insignificant.

Example

烦恼都是浮云。

Worries are all fleeting.

Word-by-Word Breakdown

神马

[shén mǎ]

what

An informal way of saying 'what'.

Example

在她眼里,神马都是浮云。

In her eyes, everything is trivial.

[dōu]

all

Refers to every part of the whole.

Example

他说什么都不怕,神马都是浮云。

He says he fears nothing, it's all trivial.

[shì]

is

Used to define or state a characteristic.

Example

其实这个问题很简单,是神马都是浮云。

Actually, this problem is simple; it's all trivial.

浮云

[fú yún]

floating clouds

Used to describe something unimportant or trivial.

Example

在我看来,这些名利都是浮云。

In my opinion, all this fame and fortune are trivial.

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