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高高在上 (gāo gāo zài shàng) — aloof from the masses; out of touch with ordinary people; self-importantly remote

Definition

An idiom criticizing someone who acts detached and superior, ignoring ordinary people's reality. Strongly negative — describes an attitude, not a physical position.

idiom
aloof from the massesout of touch with ordinary peopleself-importantly remote

Examples

  • 高高在上，。
    Dāng lǐng dǎo bù néng gāo gāo zài shàng, yào jīng cháng shēn rù jī céng liǎo jiě mín qíng.
    Leaders must not be aloof from the masses; they should frequently go down to the grassroots to understand people's conditions.
  • 高高在上。
    Zhè piān píng lùn fěng cì le nà xiē gāo gāo zài shàng de guān liáo zhǔ yì zuò fēng.
    This commentary satirizes the bureaucratism of those who are remote from the masses.
  • 高高在上，。
    Tā zǒng shì yí fù gāo gāo zài shàng de yàng zi, dà jiā dōu bú tài xǐ huan tā.
    He always puts on an air of being above everyone else, so people don't like him much.

Origin

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

高 was drawn as a tall building.

Open 高 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

高 was drawn as a tall building.

Open 高 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

The early form of 在 used 才 for its sound; a second sound part 士 was added later, and that 士 became the 土 seen in 在.

Open 在 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

上 is drawn as a short horizontal line placed above a longer arc, marking a position above that arc.

Open 上 →
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