Chinese idiom · 成语
水涨船高
Meaning
As the water rises, the boat rises; something increases as the conditions or support underlying it increase.
Character by character
Origin and story
Chan sayingAn older form writes 水長船高, using 長 for the rise in water level. Chan records attribute to the master Bajiao Jiche a pair of concrete comparisons: higher water lifts a boat, and more clay makes a larger Buddha image. The Wudeng Huiyuan preserves the saying, and the Qing collection Tongsubian also quotes it from transmission-of-the-lamp literature.
Both images connect the size or position of something with the material or conditions supporting it. The modern idiom extends that relationship to prices, standing, expectations, or other quantities. It does not necessarily describe a benefit for everyone: expenses can rise along with incomes. The important idea is a linked change, not an isolated stroke of success.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
附近开了新的地铁站，店面的租金也跟着水涨船高。
After a new metro station opened nearby, shop rents rose along with the area's appeal.
Something rises because the conditions supporting it have risen; the result need not be desirable.