諺語 · a single proverb
畫虎不成反類犬
Simplified: 画虎不成反类犬
What does 畫虎不成反類犬 (huà hǔ bù chéng fǎn lèi quǎn) mean?
畫虎不成反類犬 (huà hǔ bù chéng fǎn lèi quǎn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "trying to paint a tiger but producing a dog instead." In use it means: Attempting something too ambitious and ending up with a result worse than if you had aimed lower. The failed tiger is worse than a competent dog. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Dog.
Literally: "trying to paint a tiger but producing a dog instead."
The reading
He wanted to paint a tiger. He got a large, confused dog. The dog is not wrong. The ambition is not wrong. The mismatch between what was attempted and what was achieved is the problem. Better to paint a beautiful sparrow than an ugly tiger. Match the ambition to the skill, and grow both together.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Book of Later Han 後漢書, biography of Ma Yuan 馬援傳
Sits beside
井底之蛙
jǐng dǐ zhī wā
Someone with an extremely narrow view of the world, who mistakes the small circle of sky above the well for the whole sky.
冰凍三尺，非一日之寒
bīng dòng sān chǐ, fēi yī rì zhī hán
Nothing deep-a skill, a habit, a ruin-forms overnight.
心急吃不了熱豆腐
xīn jí chī bù liǎo rè dòu fu
Impatience will not speed things up.
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 Dog, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 畫虎不成反類犬 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 畫虎不成反類犬 (huà hǔ bù chéng fǎn lèi quǎn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Book of Later Han 後漢書, biography of Ma Yuan 馬援傳. 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 畫虎不成反類犬?
In Mandarin it is huà hǔ bù chéng fǎn lèi quǎn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 畫虎不成反類犬 aloud in Mandarin.