Shareables · HSK 3 · 文 · Culture
成语 · 画蛇添足
Drawing feet on a snake: the mistake of not stopping when you're done.
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画蛇添足huà shé tiān zúto draw feet on a snake: to ruin something by overdoing it
逐字 · CHARACTER BY CHARACTER
| Character | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 画 | huà | to draw |
| 蛇 | shé | snake |
| 添 | tiān | to add |
| 足 | zú | foot |
Men competed to draw a snake fastest, the prize a pot of wine. The first to finish had time to spare, so he added feet, and lost, because a snake has none. 《战国策》, 3rd century BC.
用法 · IN USE
Zhè jù huà yǐjīng hěn qīngchu le, zài jiěshì jiù shì huà shé tiān zú.这句话已经很清楚了，再解释就是画蛇添足。The sentence is already clear — explaining more would only spoil it.
What this card is
A one-page Chinese lesson from the HSK 3 set, filed under 文 · Culture. Drawing feet on a snake: the mistake of not stopping when you're done.
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Where it fits
The source: 画蛇添足 in the dictionary.
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