can't reach the high or accept the low (idiom); not good enough for a high post, but too proud to take a low one
trad. 高不湊低不就
Also written 高不湊低不就【gāo bù còu dī bù jiù】
Characters in this word
5高
Strokes: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0
surname Gao
- Pinyin
- Gāo
- Strokes
- 10
- Frequency
- 681 of 2500
不
Strokes: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0
no; not so, (bound form) not; un-
- Pinyin
- bù
- Strokes
- 4
- Frequency
- 9 of 2500
凑
Strokes: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0
to gather together, pool or collect, to happen by chance, to move close to, to exploit an opportunity
- Pinyin
- còu
- Traditional
- 湊
- Strokes
- 11
- Frequency
- 13738 of 2500
低
Strokes: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0
low, beneath, to lower (one's head), to let droop, to hang down, to incline
- Pinyin
- dī
- Strokes
- 7
- Frequency
- 2518 of 2500
就
Strokes: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0
(after a suppositional clause) in that case; then, (after a clause of action) as soon as; immediately after, (same as 就是[jiu4 shi4]) merely; nothing else but; simply; just; precisely; exactly, only; as little as, as much as; as many as, to approach; to move towards, to undertake; to engage in, (often followed by 著|着[zhe5]) taking advantage of, (of food) to go with, with regard to; concerning, (bound form) to reach; to attain (as in 一蹴而就[yi1 cu4 er2 jiu4]), (pattern: 就[jiu4] ... 也[ye3] ...) even if ... still ..., (pattern: 不[bu4] ... 就[jiu4] ...) if not ... then must be ...
- Pinyin
- jiù
- Strokes
- 12
- Frequency
- 14 of 2500