平步青云

平步青雲

píngbùqīngyún

idiom #25,876

Meanings

1 meteoric rise
2 to rapidly advance in career or social position
3 to rise to prominence in one step

Characters

flat, level, ordinary

blue-green, sky-blue

Examples

他凭借一篇论文平步青云，成为学术界的明星。

Tā píngjiè yī piān lùnwén píngbù qīngyún, chéngwéi xuéshùjiè de míngxīng.

With a single paper, he shot to fame and became a star in academia.

这个年轻人在公司里平步青云，三年内就当上了总监。

Zhège niánqīngrén zài gōngsī lǐ píngbù qīngyún, sān nián nèi jiù dāng shàng le zǒngjiān.

This young person rose meteorically in the company, becoming a director within three years.

Tips

memory

平步 means a casual step and 青云 means blue clouds (high heaven) — as if you casually strolled up into the clouds. The contrast between the effortless step and the lofty destination makes it vivid.

Stroke Order

平 píng

步 bù

青 qīng

云 yún