諺語 · a single proverb
邯鄲學步
Simplified: 邯郸学步
What does 邯鄲學步 (hán dān xué bù) mean?
邯鄲學步 (hán dān xué bù) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "Handan learn walk." In use it means: Imitate others foolishly, losing one's own style; blind imitation leads to losing one's original self. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Wood note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Monkey.
Literally: "Handan learn walk."
The reading
The young man went to learn the elegant walk of Handan and studied so hard to copy it that he forgot his own natural gait. He returned unable to walk at all, having traded something real for something that was never his to take. Imitation is a tool for learning, not a destination.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Zhuangzi 莊子·秋水 (Qiū Shuǐ, Autumn Floods)
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Humility & Self-Mastery, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Monkey, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 邯鄲學步 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 邯鄲學步 (hán dān xué bù) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Zhuangzi 莊子·秋水 (Qiū Shuǐ, Autumn Floods). It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 邯鄲學步?
In Mandarin it is hán dān xué bù. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 邯鄲學步 aloud in Mandarin.