kōng空airzhōng中middlelóu楼storied buildinggé阁pavilion
Castle in the air; an impractical or unrealistic scheme.
Literal meaning
air (空) — middle (中) — storied building (楼) — pavilion (阁)
Origin
A classical four-character phrase describing something that is not grounded in reality.
Examples
tā他de的jì计huà划zhǐ只shì是kōng空zhōng中lóu楼gé阁，gēn根běn本wú无fǎ法shí实xiàn现。
His plan is just a castle in the air and cannot be realized at all.
wǒ我men们bù不néng能jiàn建zào造kōng空zhōng中lóu楼gé阁，bì必xū须jiǎo脚tà踏shí实dì地。
We cannot build castles in the air; we must be down-to-earth.
Usage & nuances
Highlights the impracticality and lack of feasibility of a plan or idea.
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