平步青云 (píng bù qīng yún) — to have a meteoric rise (in career or status); to be promoted rapidly
Definition
A four-character idiom (成语) for a sudden, dramatic rise in career or social status — literally 'walking flat into the blue clouds.' Implies promotion so swift it seems effortless.
idiom
to have a meteoric rise (in career or status)to be promoted rapidly
Examples
- 平步青云，。Tā cóng yí gè xiǎo zhí yuán píng bù qīng yún, bú dào sān nián jiù dāng shàng le zǒng jīng lǐ.He went from a small clerk to general manager in less than three years — a meteoric rise.
- 平步青云，。Hěn duō rén xiàn mù tā píng bù qīng yún, dàn bù zhī dào tā bèi hòu fù chū le duō shǎo nǔ lì.Many people envy her meteoric rise, but they don't know how much effort she put in behind the scenes.
- ，平步青云，。Zài yú lè quān, xiǎng yào píng bù qīng yún bìng bù róng yì, yùn qì hé shí lì dōu hěn zhòng yào.In the entertainment industry, a meteoric rise is not easy — both luck and talent matter.
Origin
Compound word构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object
An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.
平步 pictures a level step, and 青云 the high clouds, together conveying a sudden rise to high status.
Appears in
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