Definition
This is a four-character idiom (成语) meaning 'to completely clear away' or 'to make a clean sweep of something'. Its literal imagery is 'one sweep and it's empty' — usually used for goods being sold out, a display being cleared, or efforts that remove something entirely. You will hear it in commercial contexts (products snapped up) or figurative contexts (clean sweep in competition). The structure is fixed and cannot be split.
f.e.
to sell out completelyto clear away entirelyto make a clean sweep
Examples
- 一扫而空。Shāngchǎng lǐ de tèjià shāngpǐn hěn kuài jiù bèi gùkè yī sǎo ér kōng le.The special-offer items in the mall were quickly snapped up by customers.
- 一扫而空，。Zhè cì bǐsài tāmen duì yī sǎo ér kōng, bāolǎn le suǒyǒu jīnpái.Their team made a clean sweep in this competition, taking all the gold medals.
- ，一扫而空，。Táifēng guòhòu, jiē shàng de tānwèi bèi yī sǎo ér kōng, yí piàn lángjí.After the typhoon, the street stalls were swept away completely, leaving a mess.
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