高不湊，低不就

Chinese

		high; tall	not; no	assemble; put together; press near assemble; put together; press near; come together		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. (高不湊，低不就)		高	不	湊	，	低	不	就
simp. (高不凑，低不就)		高	不	凑	，	低	不	就

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): gāo bù còu, dī bù jiù

  (Zhuyin): ㄍㄠ ㄅㄨˋ ㄘㄡˋ , ㄉㄧ ㄅㄨˋ ㄐㄧㄡˋ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: gāo bù còu, dī bù jiù [Phonetic: gāo bú còu, dī bú jiù]
    • Zhuyin: ㄍㄠ ㄅㄨˋ ㄘㄡˋ , ㄉㄧ ㄅㄨˋ ㄐㄧㄡˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: gao bù còu, di bù jiòu
    • Wade–Giles: kao¹ pu⁴ tsʻou⁴, ti¹ pu⁴ chiu⁴
    • Yale: gāu bù tsòu-, dī bù jyòu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: gau bu tsow, di bu jiow
    • Palladius: гао бу цоу, ди бу цзю (gao bu cou, di bu czju)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɑʊ̯⁵⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ t͡sʰoʊ̯⁵¹ ti⁵⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹/

Idiom

高不湊，低不就

1. Synonym of 高不成，低不就 (gāo bù chéng, dī bù jiù, “unable to aim high but unwilling to aim lower; too choosy to succeed”)