3 Clever Chinese Idioms With Snake (蛇)
Learn Chinese idioms featuring the snake (蛇), representing wisdom, caution, and hidden dangers.
The snake (蛇, shé) represents wisdom, caution, and sometimes hidden danger in Chinese culture. These idioms often teach valuable lessons about awareness and strategy.
画蛇添足
huà shé tiān zúRuin by adding extras
Literal: Draw snake add feet
The Strategies of the Warring States tells of retainers given a single flagon of wine and agreeing that whoever finished drawing a snake first should drink it. The quickest man, seeing the others still working, began adding feet (添足) to his snake (画蛇) — at which the second man finished, took the fla...
Example
The excessive explanations only confused the simple concept
过多的解释反而让简单的概念变得混乱
杯弓蛇影
bēi gōng shé yǐngNeedlessly suspicious
Literal: Bow in cup snake shadow
Ying Shao's Comprehensive Meaning of Customs tells of a guest who saw a snake (蛇) in the wine he had been handed, drank it out of politeness, and went home ill for months. His host, working out where the man had been sitting, found a painted bow (弓) on the wall and its reflection (影) lying in the cu...
Example
The team's excessive caution about minor changes paralyzed decision-making
团队对小变化的过度警惕导致决策瘫痪
虎头蛇尾
hǔ tóu shé wěiStrong start with weak finish
Literal: Tiger head snake tail
A tiger's head (虎头) on a snake's tail (蛇尾). The mismatch is the argument, and it is precise about the failure: the beginning was not merely good but imposing, which is what makes the ending conspicuous. Chinese distinguishes this from abandoning something outright — the snake's tail is still a tail,...
Example
The novel began with dramatic intensity but ended with a weak, rushed conclusion
这部小说开头激烈，但以弱且仓促的结尾收场
Quick Reference
More Chinese Idiom Lists
9 Fierce Chinese Idioms With Tiger (虎)
Explore powerful Chinese idioms featuring the tiger (虎), representing courage, power, and authority.
10 Beautiful Chinese Idioms Inspired by Nature
Poetic Chinese idioms drawing wisdom from mountains, water, plants, and the natural world.
8 Chinese Beauty Idioms — The Four Beauties Who "Shamed the Moon"
Discover the most beautiful Chinese idioms describing beauty, including the famous 闭月羞花 and 沉鱼落雁 from the Four Beauties of ancient China.
6 Powerful Chinese Idioms With Dragon (龙)
Discover Chinese idioms featuring the dragon (龙), a symbol of power, luck, and imperial authority in Chinese culture.
Learn Chinese Idioms Daily
Get a new Chinese idiom delivered to your home screen every day with our free iOS app. Features pinyin pronunciation, meanings, and cultural context.
Download Free App