物是人非(wùshì rénfēi)

---How Miley Cyrus Has Changed Over the Years

News Flashback

Everything changes. Some are small, others are big, especially Miley Cyrus. Overwhelmed by her current style, most of us may have not remembered what Miley Cyrus was like before. Let’s take a look at how Miley Cyrus has changed over time.

Miley Cyrus on June 2006

Miley put on a pair of hip brown boots to attend the premiere of Walt Disney Pictures' "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" in Anaheim, Calif. This is what most people remember her as a simple and innocent young girl.

Miley Cyrus on August 2012

Controversy is nothing new for Miley who wants a change. And change did come when Miley posted a picture on Twitter of her radical new hairstyle. The new do would influence her attitude and style.

Miley Cyrus on August 2013

A wink, a tongue and a unique outfit were all that Miley Cyrus needed prior to a performance at 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. If they could only stay young forever, right? But no, puppies and celebrities must get older and changes -- it's a fact of life.

Chinese Idiom - 物是人非(wùshì rénfēi)

While Miley Cyrus is on her way to “CHANGES”, she is no longer the girl we remember. In Chinese, there is a very useful idiom to describe that people are not the way they were before. It is 物是人非(wù shì rén fēi), which literally means that “Thing is still the thing, but people are no more.” This Chinese idiom is often used to express the feeling of sorrow when we miss the memory of someone.

The character 物 in the idiom means “a thing”, which refers to everything except human beings. You may have learned Chinese before and know that 是 means “is” , but in this idiom 是 means “is like this”, which has an extensive meaning of “remaining the same”. 人， as you may already know, means any living person like you and me. Lastly, the Chinese character 非 - another way of saying 不是 (bú shì) has the opposite meaning to 是， meaning “different from the past” in this idiom.

When you go back to your hometown after years’ of working overseas and see that everything has changed, you may feel a little bit of sorrow. Then you can use this idiom 物是人非 to express your emotions.

Chinese Dialogue

Vicky: nǐ xǐhuɑn Miley Cyrus mɑ？

Vicky: 你  喜欢  Miley Cyrus  吗？

          Do you like Miley Cyrus?

Mike: xǐhuɑn. dànshì wǒ ɡènɡ xǐhuɑn tā yuánlái de yànɡzi.

Mike:   喜欢。但是    我    更    喜欢   她  原来   的  样子。

          I like it, but I like more what she looks before.

Vicky: shì ā，dànshì wù shì rén fēi.

Vicky: 是啊，  但是   物  是  人  非。

          Indeed. Thing is still the thing, but people are no more.

Mike: zhēn kěxī.

Mike:  真  可惜!

           It is a pity!