眼高手低
眼高手低 (yǎn gāo shǒu dī) literally means “eyes high hands low” and expresses “standards exceed abilities”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving wisdom and learning.
Also searched as: yan gao shou di, yan gao shou di,眼高手低 meaning, 眼高手低 in english
Standards exceed abilities
Pronunciation: yǎn gāo shǒu dī Literal meaning: Eyes high hands low
Origin & Usage
Eyes (眼) high (高), hands (手) low (低). The two faculties are judged separately, and the phrase concedes the first while faulting the second: the taste is genuine, and the ability has not caught up with it. That makes it more sympathetic than it first sounds, and it names a real and common stage — the critic who cannot write, the student who can hear that their playing is wrong. The judgement is critical without being an accusation of pretence.
Examples
English: "The critic could identify flaws in others' work but couldn't produce anything better himself"
Chinese: 这位评论家能指出他人作品中的缺陷，但自己却创作不出更好的作品
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about wisdom & learning
束手无策
shù shǒu wú cè
Completely helpless without options
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妙手回春
miào shǒu huí chūn
Extraordinary healing skill
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信手拈来
xìn shǒu niān lái
Create effortlessly from mastery
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爱不释手
ài bù shì shǒu
Cherish something too much to put it down
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七手八脚
qī shǒu bā jiǎo
Many people busily working together in disorder
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不择手段
bú zé shǒu duàn
Use any means regardless of ethics
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大显身手
dà xiǎn shēn shǒu
Fully display one's skill and ability
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白手起家
bái shǒu qǐ jiā
Build up from nothing; self-made
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 眼高手低 mean in English?
眼高手低 (yǎn gāo shǒu dī) literally translates to “Eyes high hands low” and is used to express “Standards exceed abilities”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Wisdom & Learning category.
When is 眼高手低 used?
Situation: The critic could identify flaws in others' work but couldn't produce anything better himself
What is the pinyin for 眼高手低?
The pinyin pronunciation for 眼高手低 is “yǎn gāo shǒu dī”.