画虎类狗 — “To make a poor imitation”
画虎类狗 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to make a poor imitation”. To attempt to emulate something grand or admirable but end up with something inferior, awkward, or even ridiculous due to lack of ability or skill. Literally, “Draw a tiger, resemble a dog”.
画虎类狗 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 画huà
- 虎hǔ
- 类lèi
- 狗gǒu
画虎类狗 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 画虎类狗
Origin and Story of 画虎类狗
During the early Eastern Han Dynasty, General Ma Yuan, also known as Fubo General, was very strict in educating his nephews and younger relatives, hoping they would grow into useful talents.
He particularly disliked his nephews Ma Yan and Ma Dun engaging in gossip and slandering others behind their backs. He wrote a letter to them, titled "An Admonition to My Nephews Yan and Dun," in which he urged them to learn from and emulate virtuous individuals like Du Jiliang and Long Bogao.
He warned them that if they failed to follow these good examples, they would be like someone who attempts to draw a magnificent tiger but, due to incompetence, only manages to produce something that looks like a dog, meaning their imitation would be a complete failure and make them look foolish.
Idioms Related to 画虎类狗
Synonyms of 画虎类狗
More idioms starting with 画
- huà画yī一zhī之fǎ法a uniform law or policy
- huà画zhōng中yǒu有shī诗poetry in painting
- huà画luǎn卵diāo雕xīn薪indulge in extreme extravagance
- huà画tǔ土fēn分jiāng疆divide and demarcate territory
- huà画dì地wéi为láo牢confine oneself to a designated scope
- huà画dì地wéi为láo牢，，yì议bù不rù入confined by fear, dare not overstep
- huà画dì地wéi为yù狱restrict to a specified sphere
- huà画dì地wéi为yù狱，，shì势bù不rù入Tyrannical power creates insurmountable fear
- huà画dì地zuò作yù狱confine to a designated area
- huà画dì地kè刻mù木to be jailed and interrogated
- huà画dì地chéng成tú图demonstrate exceptional talent and skill
- huà画dì地chéng成láo牢Confine oneself to a limited scope
Questions about 画虎类狗
- What does 画虎类狗 mean?
- 画虎类狗 (huà hǔ lèi gǒu) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to make a poor imitation”.
- How do you pronounce 画虎类狗?
- 画虎类狗 is pronounced huà hǔ lèi gǒu in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 画虎类狗 literally mean?
- Literally, 画虎类狗 means “Draw a tiger, resemble a dog”. It is used to mean “to make a poor imitation”.
- Where does 画虎类狗 come from?
- 画虎类狗 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 画虎类狗?
- 类：象。画老虎不成，却象狗。比喻模仿不到家，反而不伦不类。