拱手旁观

拱手旁觀

gǒngshǒupángguān

idiom

Meanings

1 to stand by with folded arms
2 to watch from the sidelines and do nothing

Characters

to clasp (hands)

Examples

面对同事的困难，他拱手旁观，让大家很失望。

Miàn duì tóngshì de kùnnán, tā gǒngshǒupángguān, ràng dàjiā hěn shīwàng.

Faced with his colleague's difficulty, he just stood by — everyone was disappointed.

在这种关键时刻，我们绝不能拱手旁观。

Zài zhè zhǒng guānjiàn shíkè, wǒmen jué bù néng gǒngshǒupángguān.

At a critical moment like this, we absolutely cannot stand idly by.

看着河里挣扎的人，路人却拱手旁观。

Kànzhe hé lǐ zhēngzhá de rén, lùrén què gǒngshǒupángguān.

Watching the person struggle in the river, passersby stood by doing nothing.

Tips

memory

拱手 = clasp hands in a salute (so they're occupied), 旁观 = watch from the side. Together: hands tucked in your sleeves while you watch — i.e. doing nothing. Near-synonym 袖手旁观 (xiùshǒupángguān) is more common.

Stroke Order

拱 gǒng

手 shǒu

旁 páng

观 guān