Chinese idiom · 成语
隔岸观火
Meaning
To watch a fire across the river; to observe without helping.
Character by character
Origin and story
Literary and strategic metaphorThe image is watching a fire from the safe bank of a river while those across the water face danger. Liang Qichao's He pangguanzhe wen uses this comparison to condemn spectators who enjoy another person's calamity. The phrase also names the ninth strategy in the Thirty-Six Stratagems, where the advice is to let an opponent's internal disorder develop rather than forcing divided enemies to unite.
Those are different applications of the same image. The stratagem collection is not Sunzi's Art of War, and the phrase should not be attributed directly to that book. Everyday use usually criticizes detached inaction when other people need help.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
邻居遇到困难，我们不能隔岸观火，至少可以帮忙联系维修人员。
When our neighbor has a problem, we shouldn't just stand aside; at least we can help contact a repair service.
Usually disapproving when applied to people withholding help.