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化為泡影

简化为泡影 · 繁化為泡影

Mandarin · pinyin huà wéi pào yǐng

(idiom) to come to nothing

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Characters in this entry

化: huà · change, convert, reform; -ize
為: Look up this written character
泡: pào · bubbles, suds; blister; soak
影: yǐng · shadow; image, reflection; photograph
为: wèi · do, handle, govern, act; be

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4–2–4–3 · hua4 wei2 pao4 ying3

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

化為泡影 · find source passages ↗ · 化为泡影 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

verb

to disappear completely; to come to nothing

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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