霄壤之别 xiāo rǎng zhī bié vast difference

Explanation

比喻差别极大，像天和地一样，相差甚远。

It is used to describe a huge difference, like the difference between the sky and the earth.

Origin Story

话说唐朝时期，一位名叫李白的诗仙，在长安城中与一位名叫杜甫的诗圣相遇。两人皆是才华横溢，诗作精妙绝伦，但风格迥异。李白豪放不羁，诗风飘逸洒脱，如同天上的云朵，变幻莫测，令人捉摸不透；杜甫则沉稳内敛，诗风沉郁顿挫，如同大地般厚重，展现着人世的悲欢离合。他们二人同游曲江，在赏花饮酒之余，谈及诗作创作，彼此欣赏对方才华的同时，也发现各自的诗歌风格存在着霄壤之别。李白感叹杜甫诗作的厚重，如同巍峨的山岳，令人敬仰；杜甫则赞扬李白诗风的飘逸，如同清澈的溪流，令人心旷神怡。虽然风格不同，但两人都为唐诗的繁荣做出了巨大贡献。他们的友谊，也如同这天和地一样，相隔甚远却和谐共存。

huà shuō táng cháo shí qī, yī wèi míng jiào lǐ bái de shī xiān, zài cháng ān chéng zhōng yǔ yī wèi míng jiào dù fǔ de shī shèng xiāng yù. liǎng rén jiē shì cái huá héng yì, shī zuò jīng miào jué lún, dàn fēng gé jiǒng yì. lǐ bái háo fàng bù jī, shī fēng piāo yì sǎ tuō, rútóng tiān shàng de yún duǒ, biàn huàn mò cè, lìng rén zhuō mō bù tòu; dù fǔ zé chén wěn nèi liǎn, shī fēng chén yù dùn cuò, rútóng dà dì bān hòu zhòng, zhǎn xiàn zhe rén shì de bēi huān lí hé. tāmen èr rén tóng yóu qǔ jiāng, zài shǎng huā yǐn jiǔ zhī yú, tán jí shī zuò chuàng zuò, bǐ cǐ xīn shǎng duì fāng cái huá zhī tóng shí, yě fā xiàn gè zì de shī gē fēng gé cún zài zhe xiāo rǎng zhī bié. lǐ bái gǎn tàn dù fǔ shī zuò de hòu zhòng, rútóng wēi é de shān yuè, lìng rén jìng yǎng; dù fǔ zé zàn yáng lǐ bái shī fēng de piāo yì, rútóng qīng chè de xī liú, lìng rén xīn kuàng shēn yí. suīrán fēng gé bù tóng, dàn liǎng rén dōu wèi táng shī de fán róng zuò chū le jù dà gòng xiàn. tāmen de yǒuyì, yě rútóng zhè tiān hé dì yī yàng, xiāng gé shèn yuǎn què hé xié gòng cún.

During the Tang Dynasty, the great poet Li Bai and the great poet Du Fu met in Chang'an. Both were incredibly talented, their poems exquisite and unparalleled, yet their styles were vastly different. Li Bai was unrestrained and free-spirited, his poetry as ethereal and unpredictable as the clouds in the sky; Du Fu was steady and reserved, his poetry as weighty and profound as the earth itself, reflecting the joys and sorrows of humanity. While enjoying flowers and wine at Qujiang, they discussed their poetic creations. Admiring each other's talent, they realized the immense difference in their styles. Li Bai marveled at the depth of Du Fu's work, comparing it to majestic mountains, while Du Fu praised the elegant grace of Li Bai's poetry, likening it to clear streams. Though their styles differed greatly, both contributed immensely to the flourishing of Tang poetry. Their friendship, much like heaven and earth, remained distinct yet harmonious.

Usage

用于形容两者之间差别巨大。

yòng yú xíngróng liǎng zhě zhī jiān chābié jù dà

Used to describe a huge difference between two things.

Examples

• 他们的差距简直是霄壤之别。

  tāmen de chājù jiǎnzhí shì xiāorǎng zhī bié

  The difference between them is vast.

• 技术水平存在霄壤之别。

  jìshù shuǐpíng cúnzài xiāorǎng zhī bié

  There is a vast difference in technical skills.

• 贫富差距之大，简直是霄壤之别！

  pínfù chājù zhī dà, jiǎnzhí shì xiāorǎng zhī bié

  The gap between the rich and the poor is huge!

Related Idioms

• 天差地别

• 天壤之别

Opposite Idioms

• 相差无几

• 不相上下