眼高手低

yǎngāoshǒudī

idiom #56,817

Meanings

1 high standards but low ability
2 eyes too high, hands too low
3 more talk than skill

Characters

Examples

他眼高手低，看别人的作品都不顺眼，自己却做不出什么来。

Tā yǎn gāo shǒu dī, kàn biérén de zuòpǐn dōu bù shùnyǎn, zìjǐ què zuò bù chū shénme lái.

He's all high standards and low skill — picks apart everyone else's work but can't produce anything himself.

刚毕业的学生容易眼高手低，得慢慢磨练。

Gāng bìyè de xuésheng róngyì yǎn gāo shǒu dī, děi mànmàn móliàn.

Fresh graduates often have high expectations and low skill; they need gradual practice.

Tips

usage

Classic critique of someone who criticizes widely but can't deliver. Near-synonym of English 'all talk, no action,' though 眼高手低 specifically targets the mismatch between judgment and execution, not just effort.

Stroke Order

眼 yǎn

高 gāo

手 shǒu

低 dī