看菜吃饭 kān cài chī fàn

DEFINITIONS

  1. to eat depending on the dish (idiom); fig. to act according to actual circumstances
  2. to live within one's means

CHARACTERS

看 kān look, see; examine, scrutinize
菜 cài vegetables; dish, order; food
吃 chī eat; drink; suffer, endure, bear
饭 fàn cooked rice; food, meal