📖 Meaning
Describes a person whose grand ambitions far exceed their actual abilities. The phrase implies a mismatch between aspiration and capability, and it often carries a mildly critical or mocking tone. It is also frequently used as a humble, self-deprecating expression.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the poem 《大风登城诗》 (Climbing the City Wall in a Gale) by Lu You (陆游, 1125–1210), a renowned patriotic poet of the Southern Song dynasty. In the lines "材疏志大不自量，西家东家笑我狂" (talent sparse, ambition great, failing to gauge my own measure — the neighbors on both sides laugh at my wildness), the poet humbly describes himself. He concedes that his abilities are limited while his aspirations are lofty, causing him to overreach and draw mockery from those around him. The phrase thus began as a self-deprecating remark and came to describe anyone whose ambitions outstrip their abilities.
💡 Example Usage
我材疏志大，竟想一蹴而就，实在惭愧。
My ambition far exceeds my ability — I actually thought I could succeed at one stroke, and I'm truly ashamed.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 材疏志大
- Pinyin: cái shū zhì dà
- Literal Translation: talent, sparse, ambition, great
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4