画蛇添足 meaning and pronunciation

画蛇添足
Simplified word
畫蛇添足
Traditional word

画蛇添足 English definition

huà shé tiān zú
  • lit. draw legs on a snake (idiom)
  • fig. to ruin the effect by adding sth superfluous
  • to overdo it

HSK level

Characters

  • 画 (huà): to draw; picture; painting; CL:幅[fu2],張|张[zhang1]; classifier for paintings etc; variant of 劃|划[hua4];
  • 蛇 (shé): snake; serpent; CL:條|条[tiao2];
  • 添 (tiān): to add; to increase; to replenish;
  • 足 (zú): foot; to be sufficient; ample;