癞蛤蟆想吃天鹅肉 lài há ma xiǎng chī tiān é ròu

fig. to try to punch above one's weight

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency Unknown

Definitions

  1. 1. fig. to try to punch above one's weight
  2. 2. lit. the toad wants to eat swan meat (idiom)

Characters

Character Meaning
癞 lài
skin disease; scabies
蛤 há
toad; frog; clam
蟆 ma
toad; old variant of 蟆má
想 xiǎng HSK 1
to want; to think; to suppose
吃 chī HSK 1
to eat; to consume; to eat at (a cafeteria etc)
天 tiān HSK 1
day; sky; heaven
鹅 é
goose; variant of 鵝é
肉 ròu HSK 2
meat; flesh; pulp (of a fruit)