After learning basic characters, the next level in Chinese is combining them into words, and then idioms. This free guide helps you understand advanced idioms like 「作壁上觀」. Meaning and usage are below.
This time, our spotlight is on the idiom 「作壁上觀」. Its meaning and how it’s applied are described below.
Wall: barrier. Originally it meant that when two sides were fighting, one was standing on the barrier and watching. Later it is often used to describe standing by and watching without helping.
The Mandarin pronunciation of this idiom is :
zuò bì shàng guān
while its Cantonese pinyin is :
jok3 bik1 seung5/seung6 gun1
The sheer number of Chinese idioms and their varied meanings make them fascinating to study. Let these materials assist you as you advance your Chinese skills and understanding.
