高不成，低不就

Chinese

		high; tall	not; no	finish; complete; accomplish finish; complete; accomplish; become; turn into; win; succeed; one tenth		to lower (one's head); to let droop; to hang down to lower (one's head); to let droop; to hang down; low; to incline; beneath	not; no	at once; then; right away at once; then; right away; only; (emphasis); to approach; to move towards; to undertake
trad. (高不成，低不就)		高	不	成	，	低	不	就
simp. #(高不成，低不就)		高	不	成	，	低	不	就

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): gāo bù chéng, dī bù jiù

  (Zhuyin): ㄍㄠ ㄅㄨˋ ㄔㄥˊ , ㄉㄧ ㄅㄨˋ ㄐㄧㄡˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): gou¹ bat¹ sing⁴, dai¹ bat¹ zau⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: gāo bù chéng, dī bù jiù [Phonetic: gāo bù chéng, dī bú jiù]
    • Zhuyin: ㄍㄠ ㄅㄨˋ ㄔㄥˊ , ㄉㄧ ㄅㄨˋ ㄐㄧㄡˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: gao bù chéng, di bù jiòu
    • Wade–Giles: kao¹ pu⁴ chʻêng², ti¹ pu⁴ chiu⁴
    • Yale: gāu bù chéng-, dī bù jyòu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: gau bu cherng, di bu jiow
    • Palladius: гао бу чэн, ди бу цзю (gao bu čɛn, di bu czju)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɑʊ̯⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ ti⁵⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: gou¹ bat¹ sing⁴, dai¹ bat¹ zau⁶
    • Yale: gōu bāt sìhng, dāi bāt jauh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gou¹ bat⁷ sing⁴, dai¹ bat⁷ dzau⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: gou¹ bed¹ xing⁴, dei¹ bed¹ zeo⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kou̯⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ sɪŋ²¹ tɐi̯⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ t͡sɐu̯²²/

Idiom

高不成，低不就

1. unable to aim high but unwilling to aim lower; too choosy to succeed (in choosing a job or one's spouse)

Synonyms

• 高不湊，低不就／高不凑，低不就 (gāo bù còu, dī bù jiù)
• 高不輳，低不就／高不辏，低不就 (gāo bù còu, dī bù jiù)