諺語 · a single proverb
畫蛇添足
Simplified: 画蛇添足
What does 畫蛇添足 (huà shé tiān zú) mean?
畫蛇添足 (huà shé tiān zú) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "draw snake, add feet." In use it means: Add something superfluous that ruins the whole; ruin something by over-elaborating. 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 Snake.
Literally: "draw snake, add feet."
The reading
The snake was perfect, complete, and won the competition, and the painter who added feet to his winning entry did not improve it but disqualified it. The addition that was not needed made something sufficient into something wrong. Knowing when to stop is as important as knowing how to start, and the temptation to add one more thing is the more dangerous instinct.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Warring States 戰國策·齊策二 (Zhàn Guó Cè, Qi Strategies II)
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 Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Snake, Year of the Frog, and Year of the Rat.
Questions
Is 畫蛇添足 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 畫蛇添足 (huà shé tiān zú) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Warring States 戰國策·齊策二 (Zhàn Guó Cè, Qi Strategies II). 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 畫蛇添足?
In Mandarin it is huà shé tiān zú. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 畫蛇添足 aloud in Mandarin.