ping4 bou6 cing1 wan4平步青雲平步青云
Jyutpingping4 bou6 cing1 wan4
Yalepìhng bouh chīng wàhn
Definition
To rise rapidly in career or social status; to have a smooth and highly successful advancement.
neutralwork
How it's used
This idiom carries a strong sense of smooth, rapid advancement, often implying a combination of talent and favorable circumstances. It is frequently used in professional or academic contexts to describe someone who seems to climb the ladder without significant obstacles. Unlike casual descriptions of success, it carries a slightly formal or literary weight despite being used in everyday speech.
Examples
Ever since he got promoted, his career has been on the fast track.
Related words
Common phrases
career skyrocketing
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a general term for being rich or successful, but it specifically refers to the trajectory of one's rank or status. It is not used to describe sudden financial windfalls or winning a lottery.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
