天高地厚

From the Classic of Poetry, poem 192 (《詩經·小雅·正月》):

謂天蓋高，不敢不局。
謂地蓋厚，不敢不蹐。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]

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谓天盖高，不敢不局。
谓地盖厚，不敢不蹐。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Wèi tiān gài gāo, bùgǎn bù jú.
Wèi dì gài hòu, bùgǎn bù jí.

We say of the heavens that they are high,
But I dare not but stoop under them.
We say of the earth that it is thick,
But I dare not but walk daintily on it.

天高地厚

1. the vastness of the world

   • 天高地厚，跼而蹐之。 [Classical Chinese, trad. and simp.]

     From: 漢．蔡邕《釋誨》

     Tiāngāodìhòu, qú ér jí zhī.

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

2. (figurative) profound; deep (of kindness)

   • 這天高地厚情，直到海枯石爛時，此時作念何時止？ [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     这天高地厚情，直到海枯石烂时，此时作念何时止？ [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Wang Shifu, The Story of the Western Wing, 13^th – 14^th centuries CE

     Zhè tiāngāodìhòu qíng, zhídào hǎikūshílàn shí, cǐshí zuòniàn héshí zhǐ?

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 蒙老爺問到這一句話，真乃天高地厚之恩。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     蒙老爷问到这一句话，真乃天高地厚之恩。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Wu Jingzi, The Scholars, 1750 CE

     Méng lǎoyé wèn dào zhè yījù huà, zhēn nǎi tiāngāodìhòu zhī ēn.

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

3. complexity of things

   • 我送給你這個看看，看了這種書，得點實用，那就不至於要學那一種不知天高地厚的名士了。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     我送给你这个看看，看了这种书，得点实用，那就不至于要学那一种不知天高地厚的名士了。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: 《二十年目睹之怪現狀》第二二回

     Wǒ sòng gěi nǐ zhège kànkàn, kàn le zhè zhǒng shū, dédiǎn shíyòng, nà jiù bùzhìyú yào xué nà yīzhǒng bùzhī tiāngāodìhòu de míngshì le.

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

• 高天厚地

• “Entry #53001”, in 重編國語辭典修訂本 [Revised Mandarin Chinese Dictionary] (in Chinese), National Academy for Educational Research (Taiwan), 2021.