眼高手低
yǎn gāo shǒu dī
high standards but little ability
Character by character
眼yǎn
eyes
eyes
高gāo
high
high
手shǒu
hands
hands
低dī
low
low
Example
刚毕业的学生容易眼高手低。
New graduates often have high standards but little ability.
Tone: negative (criticism).
Usage and origin
A stock criticism of fresh graduates and beginners: 眼 is your taste, 手 your actual skill.
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