冷眼旁观

冷眼旁觀
lěngyǎn-pángguān
idiom #29,622

Meanings

  1. 1 to observe with cold detachment
  2. 2 to look on with indifference
  3. 3 to be an aloof bystander

Examples

HSK 5
Wǒmen bùnéng duì shèhuì de bù gōngzhèng xiànxiàng lěngyǎn-pángguān.
We cannot stand by indifferently in the face of social injustice.
HSK 7-9
Tā duì tóngshì de kùnjìng lěngyǎn-pángguān, méiyǒu shēnchū yuánshǒu.
He watched his colleague's plight with cold detachment and offered no help.

Tips

usage
This idiom often carries a negative connotation - the bystander could help but chooses not to. It can also mean to observe something critically from a detached vantage point.

Stroke Order

lěng
yǎn
páng
guān