Definition
隔岸观火 is a four-character idiom (chengyu) that literally means 'watch the fire from the opposite shore'. It describes the attitude of watching someone else's trouble or danger from a safe distance without helping — a detached, indifferent, or even self-serving bystander stance. You can use it in formal or written contexts to criticize someone who stays passive while others are in crisis.
id.
to watch someone's trouble from a safe distance without helpingto be an indifferent bystander
Examples
- ，隔岸观火，。Línjū jiā shīhuǒ, tā què gé àn guān, shízài ràng rén xīnhán.His neighbor's house caught fire, but he just watched from the sidelines — truly chilling.
- ，隔岸观火。Miànduì péngyou de kùnjìng, wǒmen bù yīnggāi gé àn guān.Faced with a friend's difficulty, we shouldn't just stand by and watch.
- 隔岸观火。Zhè zhǒng gé àn guān de tàidù zài tuánduì hézuò zhōng hěn bù kěqǔ.This kind of indifferent bystander attitude is very undesirable in teamwork.
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