Definition
远在天边 is a four-character idiom (成语) that literally means 'as far as the edge of heaven' — extremely far away. It is almost always used in the contrastive pattern 远在天边，近在眼前 ('far away at the edge of heaven, yet right before your eyes'), meaning something or someone you've been searching for is actually very close. The idiom emphasizes the irony of distance vs. proximity, not literal geography.
idiom
to be far away (literally or figuratively)used in the pattern 远在天边，近在眼前 to mean 'what seems far away is actually right here'
Examples
- 远在天边，。Tā yǐwéi yuǎn zài tiān biān, qíshí jiù zài gébì.He thought it was far away, but it was actually next door.
- 远在天边，，。yuǎn zài tiān biān, jìn zài yǎnqián, nǐ zhǎo de dōngxi jiù zài zhuō shàng.Far away at the edge of heaven, yet right before your eyes — the thing you're looking for is right on the table.
- 远在天边，。Bié yǐwéi yuǎn zài tiān biān, qíshí zhǐyào nǔlì jiù néng dádào.Don't think it's as far as the edge of heaven — actually, as long as you work hard, you can achieve it.
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