Chinese idiom · 成语
高谈阔论
Meaning
Lofty and broad discourse; grandiose talk.
Character by character
Origin and story
Historical and literary usageAn early related phrase appears in Dong Guan Han Ji's biography of Zhao Qin. Sent to inspect officials who disregarded the law, Zhao Qin met Yong Ba and spoke in elevated, principled terms instead of immediately questioning county business. The account says Yong Ba resigned; another magistrate followed after hearing the news. Its wording is gao tan qing lun, not the exact modern idiom.
The exact expression is documented in later literature, including a Song memorial by Gao Side criticizing grand talk divorced from practical affairs. Its meanings therefore range from animated, wide-ranging conversation to empty rhetoric. Context determines whether the speaker is admiring or dismissive.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
与其坐在这里高谈阔论，不如先把用户的问题整理出来。
Instead of sitting here talking grandly, let's first compile the users' actual problems.
Often critical of impractical talk, though relaxed, lively discussion is another sense.