袖手旁观

袖手旁觀
xiùshǒupángguān
to watch with folded arms (idiom); to look on without lifting a finger

CEDICT

Entry Composition

1 袖 xiù
  1. sleeve
  2. to tuck inside one's sleeve
2 手 shǒu
  1. hand
  2. (formal) to hold
  3. person engaged in certain types of work
  4. person skilled in certain types of work
  5. personal(ly)
  6. convenient
  7. classifier for skill

classifiers: 雙, 隻
3 旁观 pángguān
  1. spectator
  2. non-participant