Chinese word

水涨船高

Pronunciation

Pinyinshuǐ zhǎng chuán gāo

油价涨了，水涨船高，交通费也涨了。yóu jià zhǎng le shuí zhǎng chuán gāo jiāo tōng fèi yě zhǎng le

Oil prices have gone up, and transportation costs have risen along with them.

节日前夕，礼品价格水涨船高。jié rì qián xī lí pǐn jià gé shuí zhǎng chuán gāo

On the eve of the holiday, gift prices rose in tandem.

In a linked system, upward movement in one part brings upward movement in another.

息息相关xī xī xiāng guān: Having a close connection in which changes quickly affect each other.

因一件事上升而导致相关事物也随之上升的状态或趋势。yīn yí jiàn shì shàng shēng ér dǎo zhì xiāng guān shì wù yě suí zhī shàng shēng de zhuàng tài huò qū shì

水涨船高 (shuǐzhǎngchuángāo, "when the water rises, the boat rises") turns a simple water-and-boat scene into a metaphor for connected upward changes.

Unlike the broad promise in the English phrase "a rising tide lifts all boats," this idiom usually links one specific change to a related change, not benefits for everyone.