隔岸观火 gé'ànguānhuǒ to watch from the sidelines Definitions Defs Origin Strokes Stroke Words Sentences Sents 隔岸 gé'àn the opposite bank the opposite side of a river, lake, or body of water观火 觀火 guānhuǒ to see clearly (literary) to observe something with complete clarity, as if watching a fire; to have penetrating insight