How can the Chinglish expression "you can you up" be translated?

Consider If you talk the talk, then walk the walk. It means, essentially, if you brag that you can do something, then do it.

It is a variant of the more general scheme talk the talk... walk the walk, defined by Cambridge as:

(informal) If you say that someone talks the talk but does not walk the walk, you mean that they do not act in a way that agrees with the things they say.


An alternative is put up or shut up, defined as follow:

(informal) If you say someone should put up or shut up, you mean they should either take action in order to do what they have been talking about or stop talking about it.

It means, essentially, stop merely talking about doing something, and do it. Put up (do it) or shut up (stop talking about it).

If someone claims that they can do something better than someone else, the second person could respond: "Put up or shut up."

This expression might more accurately reflect the tone of the Chinese expression, since it carries (or can carry) a slight hostility.


The following phrases and their variants are very similar to your translation of "if you know how to do it so well, then you do it!", but are fairly common in situations like the one described, maybe so common as to be considered partially idiomatic:

  • If you're so good/clever/skilled, you do it!
  • If you're so good, why don't you do it?
  • If you're such an expert, why aren't you doing it?
  • You do it then... [Contemptuously as one drops the hammer and walks away.]

Let's see you do better*

is apparently common enough that it's the name of a TV Trope and a(n alleged) logical fallacy.

enter image description here

Note, though, that it strongly rubs some folks the wrong way, as suggested in the links above and the many other similar complaints.

It can be used when someone is directly criticizing you, but also when someone is criticizing a third party. In fact, most of the instances where it is described as a fallacy refer to people criticizing a professional (filmmakers, game designers, etc.) in an area where they themselves have no expertise. But as, for example, a response to one's spouse's complaint about how the laundry is folded, I think it's perfectly logical (if still perhaps impolitic).


*Also phrased as I'd like to see you do better.


If "You Good, You Up" refers originally specifically to a combat sport or violent situation then yes "Put up or shut up" would match tone, otherwise walkthe walk might be a better fit

The origin of "Put up or shut up" is an invitation for someone to put up their fists, in preparation for a fight.

1858 Marysville (Ohio) Tribune (Electronic text) 21 July, Now, if he means business, let him put up, or shut up, for this is the last communication that will come from me in regard to this fellow.

Another newspaper quote with more context

Cambridge Chronicle, Volume XIII, Number 32, 7 August 1858 quote

If they weren't prepared to do that then they should shut up as their comments were causing offence. This derived directly from the phrase "Put up your Dukes" which was used as early as 1859 as claimed in Dalzell's The Routledge Dictionary of Modern American Slang, and also heard countless times from John Wayne in various westerns whilst I was growing up

As a British English speaker, my only interaction with the phrase "Put up your dukes" was through American spaghetti westerns, and the phrase "Put up or shut up" was never in common parlance in my youth so I'm certain derives from this situation of agitating for a fight


There are some English sayings that may convey what you're looking for.

"The best place for criticism is in front of your mirror."

  • "before you criticize others you should first take a look at yourself.

"Don't talk the talk if you can't walk the walk."

  • You shouldn't brag about being able to do something if you can't actually do it.

I, for myself, would probably say: "If you don't like it, do it yourself", which would be readily understood by any amoeba.