邯鄲學步

See also: 邯郸学步

Chinese

	Handan	learn; study; science learn; study; science; ‑ology	a step; a pace; walk a step; a pace; walk; march; stages in a process
trad. (邯鄲學步)	邯鄲	學	步
simp. (邯郸学步)	邯郸	学	步
Literally: “to study the walking method of the people of Handan”.

Etymology

From Zhuangzi:

子往矣！且子獨不聞夫壽陵餘子之學行於邯鄲與？未得國能，又失其故行矣，直匍匐而歸耳。今子不去，將忘子之故，失子之業。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

子往矣！且子独不闻夫寿陵余子之学行于邯郸与？未得国能，又失其故行矣，直匍匐而归耳。今子不去，将忘子之故，失子之业。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

Zǐ wǎng yǐ! Qiě zǐ dú bù wén fú shòulíng yúzǐ zhī xué xíng yú Hándān yú? Wèi dé guó néng, yòu shī qí gù xíng yǐ, zhí púfú ér guī ěr. Jīn zǐ bù qù, jiāng wàng zǐ zhī gù, shī zǐ zhī yè. [Pinyin]

Go your ways, Sir! And have you not heard of the young learners of Shou-ling, and how they did in Han-dan? Before they had acquired what they might have done in that capital, they had forgotten what they had learned to do in their old city, and were marched back to it on their hands and knees. If now you do not go away, you will forget your old acquirements, and fail in your profession.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): hándānxuébù

(Zhuyin): ㄏㄢˊ ㄉㄢㄒㄩㄝˊ ㄅㄨˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): hon⁴ daan¹ hok⁶ bou⁶

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: hándānxuébù
  - Zhuyin: ㄏㄢˊ ㄉㄢㄒㄩㄝˊ ㄅㄨˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: hándansyuébù
  - Wade–Giles: han²-tan¹-hsüeh²-pu⁴
  - Yale: hán-dān-sywé-bù
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: harndanshyuebuh
  - Palladius: ханьданьсюэбу (xanʹdanʹsjuebu)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /xän³⁵ tän⁵⁵ ɕy̯ɛ³⁵ pu⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: hon⁴ daan¹ hok⁶ bou⁶
  - Yale: hòhn dāan hohk bouh
  - Cantonese Pinyin: hon⁴ daan¹ hok⁹ bou⁶
  - Guangdong Romanization: hon⁴ dan¹ hog⁶ bou⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /hɔːn²¹ taːn⁵⁵ hɔːk̚² pou̯²²/

Idiom

邯鄲學步

to badly imitate others, and lose one's individuality in the process

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (邯鄲學步):

→ Korean: 한단학보(邯鄲學步) (handanhakbo)

Others:

→ Japanese: 邯鄲の歩み (calque)