癞蛤蟆想吃天鹅肉

癩蛤蟆想吃天鵝肉

làiháma xiǎng chī tiān'é ròu

proverb

Meanings

1 lit. a toad wanting to eat swan meat
2 to aim far above one's station
3 to chase someone far out of one's league

Characters

(in 蛤蟆) toad

(in 蛤蟆) toad

goose (天鹅 swan)

Examples

HSK 4

别说我是癞蛤蟆想吃天鹅肉，我就是想试试。

Bié shuō wǒ shì làiháma xiǎng chī tiān'é ròu, wǒ jiùshì xiǎng shìshi.

Don't tell me I'm a toad dreaming of swan meat; I just want to give it a try.

HSK 7-9

他还想追校花？真是癞蛤蟆想吃天鹅肉。

Tā hái xiǎng zhuī xiàohuā? Zhēnshì làiháma xiǎng chī tiān'é ròu.

He wants to go after the prettiest girl in school? Talk about a toad wanting to eat swan meat.

Tips

usage

Mocking and fairly harsh. Most often said of a man courting a woman far above him, but it can mock any hopeless ambition. It already appears in 《红楼梦》.

Stroke Order

癞 lài

蛤 gé

蟆 má

想 xiǎng

吃 chī

天 tiān

鹅 é

肉 ròu