每天成语
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平步青云

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: píng bù qīng yún
  • English Translation: Stepping into the blue clouds (a meteoric rise)
  • Idiom Composition: 「平」（Flat or level ground, representing a starting point or a smooth path.）＋「步」（To step or walk, implying the ease of the movement.）＋「青」（Blue or azure.）＋「云」（Clouds. Together with 青 (qīng), the term 青云 (qīng yún) refers to the high sky, symbolizing high official rank or noble aspirations.）
  • Meaning: To rise to a high position or social status very quickly and effortlessly, as if stepping from flat ground directly into the high clouds.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「平步青云」 contains the following nuances:

  • Rapid Advancement: Unlike a standard step-by-step career progression, this idiom emphasizes a 'leap' that bypasses the usual intermediate stages.
  • Emphasis on Ease: The inclusion of 平步 (píng bù), meaning 'walking on flat ground,' suggests that the ascent was smooth and lacked significant obstacles or struggle.
  • The Symbolism of 'Blue Clouds': In Chinese culture, 青云 (qīng yún) or 'blue clouds' traditionally represents high social status, high-ranking government positions, or noble, high-minded ambitions.

3. Usage

「平步青云」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Career Success: Used to describe someone in business or bureaucracy who has achieved an unusually fast promotion.
    • Example:「他凭借出色的业绩，在公司里平步青云，三年内就升到了副总裁。」
      （With his outstanding performance, he rose rapidly through the ranks at the company, becoming Vice President within three years.)
  • Wishes and Aspirations: Used as a congratulatory remark for someone starting a new role or to express one's own ambitions.
    • Example:「祝你在新的岗位上平步青云，前程似锦！」
      （I wish you a meteoric rise in your new position and a brilliant future!)
  • Irony or Jealousy: Used to criticize or question a promotion that seems unearned or based on connections.
    • Example:「大家都不知道他有什么本事，竟然能平步青云。」
      （No one knows what skills he actually has, yet he managed to skyrocket to the top.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 在这个竞争激烈的行业，想要平步青云并非易事。
    （In this highly competitive industry, it is not easy to rise to the top quickly.）
  2. 自从得到了董事长的赏识，他的仕途便平步青云。
    （Ever since he gained the Chairman's favor, his political career has soared.）
  3. 许多年轻人梦想着一夜之间平步青云，却忽略了脚踏实地的重要性。
    （Many young people dream of achieving instant success, but they overlook the importance of staying grounded.）
  4. 这本小说讲述了一个穷书生进京赶考，最终平步青云的故事。
    （This novel tells the story of a poor scholar who goes to the capital for the imperial exams and eventually attains high office.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • The idiom originates from the Records of the Grand Historian (史记), specifically the 'Biographies of Fan Ju and Cai Ze' (范雎蔡泽列传). It tells the story of Fan Ju (范雎), who was once humiliated but later became the Chancellor of the Qin State. His former tormentor was shocked to see him in such a high position, remarking that he never expected Fan Ju to reach the 'blue clouds.'
  • The concept of 青云 (qīng yún) is a common East Asian cultural metaphor for high status and noble aspirations, often appearing in classical poetry and literature.
  • In modern usage, while it can be a positive description of success, it often carries a slight nuance of 'luck' or 'smooth sailing,' sometimes implying the person didn't have to face the typical hardships of the climb.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

The idiom 平步青云 (píng bù qīng yún) describes a situation where someone achieves a rapid and smooth promotion in their career or social standing. While it can be used as a compliment for a successful person, it is also frequently used to describe a rise that seems suspiciously easy, perhaps due to luck or influential connections.

Idiom Essay

píng bù qīng yún
平步青云
A Meteoric Rise
wǒ men我们zài在xíng róng形容yí gè一个rén人de的jìn bù进步shí时，wǎng wǎng往往huì会yòng用“pá shān爬山”huò zhě或者“shàng上tái jiē台阶”zhè yàng这样de的bǐ yù比喻。

When we describe someone's progress, we often use metaphors like "climbing a mountain" or "going up steps."

zhè这yì wèi zhe意味着nǐ你xū yào需要huā fèi花费lì qì力气，ér qiě而且yào要yí bù yí bù一步一步màn màn lái慢慢来。

This implies that you need to exert effort and take it slowly, one step at a time.

dàn shì但是，zài在shēng huó生活zhōng中，ǒu ěr偶尔yě也huì会chū xiàn出现yī zhǒng一种wán quán完全bù tóng不同de的jié zòu节奏。

However, in life, a completely different rhythm occasionally appears.

nǐ你kě néng可能huì会kàn dào看到zhè yàng这样de的rén人：zuó tiān昨天tā他kàn qǐ lái看起来hái还hé和nǐ你zhàn站zài在tóng同yí gè一个wèi zhì位置，kě可méi没guò过duō jiǔ多久，tā他sì hū似乎méi没fèi费shén me什么zhōu zhé周折，yī xià zi一下子jiù就shēng升dào到le了yí gè一个fēi cháng非常gāo高de的wèi zhì位置。

You might see someone like this: yesterday they seemed to be in the same position as you, but before long, without much trouble, they suddenly rose to a very high position.

zhè zhǒng这种biàn huà变化kuài快dé得ràng让rén人jīng yà惊讶，shèn zhì甚至ràng让rén人jué de觉得bù kě sī yì不可思议。

This change is so fast it is surprising, even incredible.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个huà miàn画面gǎn感jí极qiáng强de的chéng yǔ成语lái来xíng róng形容zhè zhǒng这种zhuàng tài状态，jiào叫“píng bù qīng yún平步青云”。

In Chinese, there is a vivid idiom to describe this state called 平步青云.

zhè ge这个cí词fēi cháng非常měi美，dàn但yě也hěn很kuā zhāng夸张。

This term is very beautiful but also quite exaggerated.

“píng bù平步”，yì si意思shì是jiǎo bù脚步zǒu走dé得hěn很wěn稳、hěn很qīng sōng轻松，xiàng像zài在píng dì平地shàng上zǒu lù走路yī yàng一样；ér而“qīng yún青云”，zhǐ指de的shì是gāo gāo高高de的lán tiān蓝天，zài在gǔ dài古代，tā它yě也xiàng zhēng象征zhe着hěn很gāo高de的guān wèi官位huò或shè huì社会dì wèi地位。

平步 means walking steadily and easily, as if walking on flat ground; while 青云 refers to the high blue sky, which in ancient times also symbolized high official rank or social status.

bǎ把zhè这liǎng gè两个cí词hé合zài在yì qǐ一起，huà miàn画面jiù就chū lái出来le了：yí gè一个rén人míng míng明明xiàng像shì是zài在píng dì平地shàng上sàn bù散步，què却bù zhī不知zěn me怎么de的，yī bù一步jiù就kuà跨dào到le了gāo sǒng rù yún高耸入云de的tiān kōng天空lǐ里。

Putting these two words together creates a picture: a person is clearly walking as if on flat ground, yet somehow, in one step, they have crossed into the towering sky.

wǒ men我们tōng cháng通常huì会zài在shén me什么yǔ jìng语境xià下yòng用tā它ne呢？

In what context do we usually use it?

dà duō大多shì是zài在zhí chǎng职场huò或guān chǎng官场shàng上。

Mostly in the workplace or in politics.

bǐ rú比如，yí gè一个nián qīng rén年轻人gāng刚jìn rù进入gōng sī公司bù jiǔ不久，jiù就lián xù连续huò dé获得tí bá提拔，jǐ nián几年shí jiān时间jiù就chéng成le了hé xīn核心gāo guǎn高管；huò zhě或者yí gè rén一个人zhuā zhù抓住le了mǒu gè某个tè shū特殊de的jī yù机遇，dì wèi地位fā shēng发生le了jù dà巨大de的fēi yuè飞跃。

For example, a young person who has just joined a company is promoted continuously and becomes a core executive within a few years; or someone seizes a special opportunity and their status takes a giant leap.

zhè shí hòu这时候，zhōu wéi周围de的rén人jiù就huì会gǎn tàn感叹shuō说：“tā他zhè这zhēn shì真是píng bù qīng yún平步青云。”

At this time, people around them will exclaim: "He has truly experienced 平步青云."

zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语de的hé xīn核心，qí shí其实zài yú在于yī zhǒng一种“fǎn chà反差”。

The core of this idiom actually lies in a kind of "contrast."

dà duō shù大多数rén人de的shàng shēng上升，shì是bàn suí伴随zhe着hàn shuǐ汗水hé和cuò zhé挫折de的；ér而“píng bù qīng yún平步青云”suǒ所miáo shù描述de的，shì是yī zhǒng一种kàn qǐ lái看起来háo bù fèi lì毫不费力de的shùn suì顺遂。

Most people's rise is accompanied by sweat and setbacks; what 平步青云 describes is a kind of success that looks effortless.

tā它qiáng diào强调de的bù jǐn不仅shì是dì wèi地位biàn gāo变高le了，gèng shì更是zhè zhǒng这种biàn huà变化fā shēng发生shí时de的sù dù速度hé和qīng sōng轻松gǎn感。

It emphasizes not only that the status has become higher, but also the speed and ease with which this change occurs.

dāng rán当然，xiàn shí现实zhōng中hěn很shǎo yǒu少有zhēn zhèng真正de的“háo bù fèi lì毫不费力”。

Of course, in reality, there is rarely true "effortlessness."

dàn但“píng bù qīng yún平步青云”zhè ge这个cí词，bǎo liú保留le了rén men人们duì对nà zhǒng那种“zhí shàng yún xiāo直上云霄”de的jí zhì极致chéng gōng成功de的xiǎng xiàng想象。

But the term 平步青云 preserves people's imagination of that ultimate success of "soaring straight into the clouds."

xià cì下次dāng当nǐ你kàn dào看到mǒu rén某人de的shì yè事业tū fēi měng jìn突飞猛进，kuài快dào到ràng让nǐ你jué de觉得xiàng像shì是zuò坐shàng上le了zhí shēng jī直升机shí时，nǐ你jiù就kě yǐ可以yòng用zhè ge这个cí词lái来xíng róng形容nà zhǒng那种zhèn hàn震撼de的gǎn jué感觉。

Next time you see someone's career advancing by leaps and bounds, so fast it feels like they are on a helicopter, you can use this term to describe that shocking feeling.

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