幻影

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: It is read げんえい. 幻 contributes an unreal appearance and 影 an image, forming a word for an insubstantial figure that seems real.
• Basic usage: It describes an apparent image that vanishes, such as the castle glimpsed through fog.
  • 霧の向こうに見えた城は、近づくと消える幻影だった。

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A figurative image of past success
  • 過去の成功の幻影 describes an idealized image of past success held in the mind. Here the emphasis is on an unreal image replacing present reality, rather than a visible figure.