邯郸重步 — “To blindly imitate others”

邯郸重步 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to blindly imitate others”. Especially those with superior skills or manners, only to fail in the imitation and lose one's own original way, resulting in awkwardness or a worse outcome than before.

Frequency

邯郸重步 Pronunciation and Pinyin

邯郸重步 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
邯	hán	7	Handan, a place name
郸	dān	10	Handan, ancient Chinese city
重	zhòng	9	heavy, important, repeat
步	bù	7	walk, step, pace

Example Sentence with 邯郸重步

他痴迷于模仿网络上的流行语和姿势，结果邯郸重步，失去了自己的独特风格，反而显得不自然。

He was obsessed with imitating popular internet slang and gestures, but he ended up like the Handan learner, losing his unique style and appearing unnatural.

Origin and Story of 邯郸重步

During the Warring States period, the people of Handan, the capital of Zhao, were known for their graceful and elegant way of walking, which was admired and envied by outsiders.

A young man from Shouling, Yan, was particularly captivated by their gait. He traveled specifically to Handan to learn their steps.

He observed, imitated, and practiced diligently. After a period, he not only failed to master their walking style but also completely forgot his own way of walking.