攀高枝

pāngāozhī
phrase

Meanings

  1. 1 (colloquial) to social-climb; to court the favor of those higher up; to marry up

Examples

Tā bú yuànyì pān gāozhī, nìngyuàn jià gěi lǎo tóngxué.
She didn't want to marry up; she preferred to marry an old classmate.
Tā kào pān gāozhī pá shàng le guǎnlǐcéng.
He climbed into management by sucking up to the higher-ups.

Tips

usage
Pejorative. The image is a vine reaching for a higher branch. Common pairing: 攀高枝 with the erhua suffix in northern speech. Often refers specifically to marrying into a wealthier family.

Stroke Order

pān
gāo
zhī