Definition
悬空 is a separable verb (离合词) meaning 'to hang in the air' literally or 'to be divorced from reality' figuratively. As a verb-object compound, it can split to insert aspect markers, durations, or complements: 悬着空 ('hanging in the air / unrealistic'), 悬了空 ('became suspended'), 悬起来空. The figurative sense is common in social commentary to describe ideas or policies that lack practical foundation.
v.o.
to hang in the airto suspend in midairto be divorced from realityto be unrealistic (of ideas, plans)
Examples
- ，。Nà gēn shéngzi yìzhí xuánzhe kōng, méi rén gǎn qù lā.That rope has been hanging in the air all along; nobody dares to pull it.
- 悬空，。Tā de xiǎngfǎ tài xuán kōng, gēnběn bú xiànshí.His ideas are too divorced from reality; they're completely impractical.
- ，。Zhège zhèngcè rúguǒ yìzhí xuánzhe kōng, yǒngyuǎn wúfǎ luòshí.If this policy remains suspended in the air, it will never be implemented.
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