Sit on your hands Meaning in English
expression
ˈsɪt/ /ˈɑn/, /ˈɔn/ /ˈjɔɹ/, /ˈjʊɹ/ /ˈhændz/, /ˈhænz
SIT-on-yor-HANDZ
sˈɪt/ /ˈɒn/ /jˈɔː/ /hˈændz
SIT-on-yaw-HANDZ
Definition
To deliberately do nothing, especially when you could help or take action in a situation.
Usage & Nuances
This is an informal idiom. Common in criticism when someone fails to help or avoids responsibility. Often used in negative or frustrating situations: 'The manager just sat on his hands.' Similar to 'stand by and do nothing.'
Spanish: quedarse de brazos cruzados - no hacer nadaPortuguese (BR): ficar de braços cruzados - não fazer nadaPortuguese (PT): ficar de braços cruzados - não fazer nadaChinese (Simplified): 袖手旁观 - 什么都不做Chinese (Traditional): 袖手旁觀 - 什麼都不做Hindi: हाथ पर हाथ धरे बैठनाArabic: تجلس مكتوف الأيديBengali: নিষ্ক্রিয় থাকা - কিছু না করাRussian: бездействовать - ничего не делатьJapanese: 何もしない - 手をこまねくVietnamese: đứng yên nhìn - làm ngơKorean: 가만히 있다 - 아무 것도 하지 않다Turkish: hiçbir şey yapmamak - seyirci kalmakUrdu: خاموش رہنا - کچھ نہ کرناIndonesian: berdiam diri - tidak berbuat apa-apa
Example Sentences
When the children were fighting, the teacher sat on her hands.
basic
Don’t sit on your hands if you see someone in trouble.
basic
The government can’t sit on its hands while prices rise.
basic
I won’t just sit on my hands if I know I can make a difference.
natural
Too many people sit on their hands and hope someone else will fix things.
natural
She refused to sit on her hands while her team struggled.
natural