Chinese Idiom 50

Meaning: This idiom translates to "drawing legs on a snake." It refers to the unnecessary addition of something superfluous or excessive, which ruins the original simplicity or perfection.

Explanation: The phrase originates from the ancient Chinese story of a talented artist who was asked to draw a snake but mistakenly added legs to it, detracting from its natural form and beauty.

Usage: "画蛇添足" is often used to caution against overdoing or overcomplicating things that are already satisfactory or complete.

Example: If someone insists on adding unnecessary details to a project, one might say, "做这个项目时要小心，不要画蛇添足" (zuò zhè gè xiàng mù shí yào xiǎo xīn, bù yào huà shé tiān zú), meaning "Be careful when working on this project, don't draw legs on a snake."