拔地而起
bá dì ér qǐ
to rise straight up from the ground; to shoot up (of buildings, mountains)
Character by character
拔bá
pull
pull
地dì
ground
ground
而ér
and
and
起qǐ
rise
rise
Example
短短几年，这片荒地上拔地而起了几十栋高楼。
In just a few years dozens of tower blocks shot up on this patch of waste ground.
Tone: neutral.
Usage and origin
Said of tall buildings, towers and steep peaks that seem to spring up from flat ground; in reports on new districts it carries a note of pride in the speed of building. Either the building is the subject (一座座高楼拔地而起), or a place phrase comes first and the building follows (荒地上拔地而起了几十栋高楼).
Learn this in Lesson 187 · HSK 7–9: 大兴机场 (Building Daxing Airport)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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