水涨船高

shuǐ zhǎng chuán gāo

HSK 3.0 Level 7 Rare

Definitions

1. the tide rises, the boat floats (idiom); fig. to change with the overall trend
2. to develop according to the situation

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Word relationships

Related words

1 item

水落石出

shuǐ luò shí chū

as the water recedes, the rocks appear (idiom)

水落石出 means 'when the water recedes, the stones appear', often used to indicate that the truth comes out; complementary idiom to 水涨船高.

Synonyms

1 item

与时俱进

yǔ shí jù jìn

abreast of modern developments

与时俱进 means 'to advance with the times'; similar to 水涨船高 in the sense of changing along with overall trends.

Usage notes

Collocations

Often used with abstract nouns like 物价 (prices) or 水平 (level): 物价水涨船高.

Common mistakes

Not used for physical floating; only for metaphorical rise tied to a trend. Don't use for literal boats.

Example Sentences

1 shown

随着物价上涨，房租也水涨船高。

As prices rise, rents also increase correspondingly.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 水涨船高

water

to rise (of prices, rivers)

to swell

boat

high