隔岸观火

Traditional: 隔岸觀火
gé àn guān huǒ
Dictionary entry
to watch the fires burning across the river

What does 隔岸观火 mean?

隔岸观火 (gé àn guān huǒ) has the following dictionary meaning.

1to watch the fires burning across the river
2to delay entering the fray until all others have been exhausted by fighting amongst themselves (idiom)

Character breakdown

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How to pronounce 隔岸观火

隔岸观火
gé àn guān huǒ
Tap to hear Mandarin.
Base dictionary data: CC-CEDICT · CC BY-SA 4.0.