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画蛇添足

huà shé tiān zú

HSK 6 4-character word Traditional 畫蛇添足

What 画蛇添足 means

1. lit. draw legs on a snake (idiom); fig. to ruin the effect by adding sth superfluous
2. to overdo it

The characters in 画蛇添足

• 画huàto draw; to paint; picture; painting; to draw (a line) (variant of 划
• 蛇shésnake; serpent
• 添tiānto add; to increase; to replenish
• 足zú(bound form) foot; leg; sufficient; ample; as much as; fully

Example sentences

• 不要画蛇添足。
  Bù yào huàshétiānzú.
  Let well alone.