諺語 · a single proverb
空中樓閣
Simplified: 空中楼阁
What does 空中樓閣 (kōng zhōng lóu gé) mean?
空中樓閣 (kōng zhōng lóu gé) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "tower in the empty air." In use it means: A castle in the air; an unrealistic dream or plan with no foundation. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Goat.
Literally: "tower in the empty air."
The reading
The building suspended in cloud looks magnificent until you try to open the door. Beauty without foundation is a kind of elaborate deception, even when it is self-deception. The first question of any worthy aspiration is not how high but what is it standing on.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Song Dynasty 宋·沈括《夢溪筆談》 (Mèng Xī Bǐ Tán, Dream Pool Essays)
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Goat, Year of the Frog, and Year of the Rat.
Questions
Is 空中樓閣 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 空中樓閣 (kōng zhōng lóu gé) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Song Dynasty 宋·沈括《夢溪筆談》 (Mèng Xī Bǐ Tán, Dream Pool Essays). It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 空中樓閣?
In Mandarin it is kōng zhōng lóu gé. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 空中樓閣 aloud in Mandarin.