画蛇添足

huà shé tiān zú

Drawing Legs on a Snake

A quick artist loses his prize by adding something his finished picture never needed.

RECOMMENDEDHSK 3

READ3 min

HANZI102

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Pinyin English

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CULTURE

When more makes something worse

画蛇添足, recorded in Strategies of the Warring States, literally means ‘draw legs on a snake.’ It criticizes unnecessary additions that spoil something already complete.

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