高屋建瓴

gāowū-jiànlíng
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 to pour water from a jug on top of a tall roof - an unstoppable commanding position
  2. 2 (of speech or strategy) sweeping and from a commanding vantage
  3. 3 to operate from a position of overwhelming advantage

Examples

HSK 4
Zhè fèn bàogào gāowū-jiànlíng de zhǐchū le hángyè fāzhǎn fāngxiàng.
This report, with a commanding overview, points out the direction of the industry's development.
HSK 7-9
Tā de yǎnjiǎng gāowū-jiànlíng, fēnxī shífēn tòuchè.
His speech took a sweeping, commanding view and the analysis was extremely thorough.

Tips

history
From Sima Qian's 《史记·高祖本纪》: 「地势便利,其以下兵于诸侯,譬犹居高屋之上建瓴水也」 - describing the Guanzhong terrain as so advantageous that sending troops down from it was like pouring a jug () of water off a high roof. here is the classical 'to pour down.'
register
Formal and laudatory - used in praise of speeches, strategy documents, and leadership vision. Not for ordinary contexts; casually it would sound pompous.

Stroke Order

gāo
jiàn
líng