Definition
吞云吐雾 is a four-character idiom that literally means 'swallow clouds and spit out mist'. It is used to describe someone smoking (especially heavily or with visible puffs of smoke). The phrase is vivid and slightly literary, often carrying a tone of leisurely or excessive smoking. You'll see it in contexts like 他靠在沙发上吞云吐雾 ('He leaned back on the sofa, puffing away').
f.e.
to smoke (especially heavily or ostentatiously)to blow out clouds of smoke (figurative)
Examples
- ，吞云吐雾。Tā zuò zài chuāng biān, yōuxián de tūn yún tǔ.He sat by the window, casually puffing away.
- 吞云吐雾，。Fángjiān lǐ jǐ gè rén zhèngzài tūn yún tǔ, yānwù liáorào.Several people in the room were smoking, filling it with haze.
- 吞云吐雾，。Lǎo Zhāng xǐhuan fàn hòu tūn yún tǔ, shuō shì xiǎngshòu.Old Zhang likes to smoke after meals, calling it a pleasure.
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