一代不如一代 — “Each successive generation is inferior to the last”
一代不如一代 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Each successive generation is inferior to the last”. Things are getting worse with each new generation. Literally, “One generation is not as good as the next”.
Frequency
一代不如一代 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 一yī
- 代dài
- 不bù
- 如rú
- 一yī
- 代dài
一代不如一代 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 一代不如一代
这个家族的传统手艺，到了年轻一代手里，似乎有些失传，真是一代不如一代啊
The traditional craft of this family seems to be somewhat lost in the hands of the younger generation; truly, each generation is inferior to the last.
Origin and Story of 一代不如一代
In ancient times, a wealthy family kept many different kinds of birds. A friend visited them.
Seeing a white crane, he asked the owner what kind of bird it was. The owner lied, claiming it was a sharp-billed crow.
Next, pointing to a 'taohe' (another type of bird), he asked again. The owner replied it was the sharp-billed crow's son.
Finally, when asked about an egret, the owner falsely stated it was the sharp-billed crow's grandson.
The friend then muttered to himself with a sigh, 'Indeed, each generation is worse than the last!'
Idioms Related to 一代不如一代
Synonyms of 一代不如一代
Antonyms of 一代不如一代
More idioms starting with 一
- yī一dīng丁bù不shí识completely illiterate
- yī一dīng丁diǎn点er儿a tiny bit
- yī一bù不zuò作，，èr二bù不xiū休Finish what you start
- yī一bù不zuò做，，èr二bù不xiū休in for a penny, in for a pound
- yī一bù不yā压zhòng众，，bǎi百bù不suí随yī一The minority cannot prevail against the majority
- yī一bù不niǔ扭zhòng众One person cannot defy the crowd
- yī一shì世zhī之xióng雄A hero of a generation
- yī一shì世lóng龙mén门A generation's revered influential figure
- yī一qiū丘yī一hè壑live contentedly in nature
- yī一qiū丘zhī之hé貉birds of a feather
- yī一sī丝yī一háo毫the slightest amount
- yī一sī丝bù不luàn乱perfectly orderly and neat
Questions about 一代不如一代
- What does 一代不如一代 mean?
- 一代不如一代 (yī dài bù rú yī dài) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Each successive generation is inferior to the last”.
- How do you pronounce 一代不如一代?
- 一代不如一代 is pronounced yī dài bù rú yī dài in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 一代不如一代 literally mean?
- Literally, 一代不如一代 means “one generation is not as good as the next”. It is used to mean “Each successive generation is inferior to the last”.
- Where does 一代不如一代 come from?
- 一代不如一代 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 一代不如一代?
- 代：父子相继为一代。一代比一代差。