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Chengyu usage loop

画蛇添足

to ruin something by overdoing it. Learn the modern situation first; the old story is useful only after the idiom has a job.

to ruin something by overdoing it
Practice recall Open Practice

Situation first

to ruin something by overdoing it

A chengyu is a compressed judgment about a situation. Random idiom sprinkling is how learners sound like a proverb calendar.

01 Name the situation Read the English meaning first. Know what kind of moment this idiom labels.
02 Hear four characters Play the chengyu and say it as one compact expression, not four isolated words.
03 Recall the use Log it, then use the chengyu quiz to match it to a modern situation.

Reading supports

Use these after the first listen. Pinyin is scaffolding; English is context; neither should become a sofa.

Literal meaning

to ruin something by overdoing it

Story

This page focuses on the modern use of 画蛇添足, not just the old story.

Modern usage

Use 画蛇添足 in social contexts when the situation matches the meaning: to ruin something by overdoing it.

Example

。 This example can be described with 画蛇添足.