Sit on its hands Meaning in English
expression · lemma: sit on one's hands
ˈsɪt/ /ˈɑn/, /ˈɔn/ /ˈɪts/, /ɪts/ /ˈhændz/, /ˈhænz
SIT on its HANDZ
sˈɪt/ /ˈɒn/ /ˈɪts/ /hˈændz
SIT on its HANDZ
Definition
To deliberately do nothing and avoid taking action, especially when action is expected or needed.
Usage & Nuances
This is an idiom. It's informal and often used when someone fails to help or refuses responsibility in a situation where action is needed. Common in phrases like 'the government can't sit on its hands.'
Spanish: no hacer nada - quedarse de brazos cruzadosPortuguese (BR): ficar de braços cruzados - não fazer nadaPortuguese (PT): ficar de braços cruzados - não fazer nadaChinese (Simplified): 袖手旁观 - 什么也不做Chinese (Traditional): 袖手旁觀 - 什麼也不做Hindi: कुछ न करना - हाथ पर हाथ धरे बैठनाArabic: يلتزم الصمت - لا يفعل شيئًاBengali: চুপ করে থাকা - কিছু না করাRussian: без действия сидеть - бездействоватьJapanese: 何もしない - 手をこまねいているVietnamese: khoanh tay đứng nhìn - không làm gìKorean: 가만히 있다 - 아무 행동도 하지 않다Turkish: elini taşın altına koymamak - hiçbir şey yapmamakUrdu: ہاتھ پر ہاتھ دھرے بیٹھناIndonesian: berdiam diri - tidak bertindak
Example Sentences
The company sat on its hands while the problem got worse.
basic
If we sit on our hands, nothing will change.
basic
Don't sit on your hands when you see someone needs help.
basic
People accused the council of sitting on its hands during the crisis.
natural
Why did they just sit on their hands when action was so clearly needed?
natural
Instead of sitting on its hands, the team quickly came up with a plan.
natural