Definition
平步青云 is a four-character idiom (chengyu) that literally means 'walking smoothly on high clouds' but metaphorically refers to someone's sudden and rapid rise to a high position, especially in one's career or social status. It carries a strong positive connotation of swift success without much struggle, similar to 'meteoric rise' in English. You typically use it to describe a person's promotion or leap in fortune.
id.
to have a meteoric rise (in career or status)to be promoted rapidly
Examples
- 平步青云，。Tā cóng yí gè xiǎo zhíyuán píng bù qīng yún, bú dào sān nián jiù dāngshàng le zǒngjīnglǐ.He went from a small clerk to general manager in less than three years — a meteoric rise.
- 平步青云，。Hěnduō rén xiànmù tā píng bù qīng yún, dàn bù zhīdào tā bèihòu fùchū le duōshǎo nǔlì.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 yúlèquān, xiǎng yào píng bù qīng yún bìng bù róngyì, yùnqì hé shílì dōu hěn zhòngyào.In the entertainment industry, a meteoric rise is not easy — both luck and talent matter.
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