狗尾续貂
gǒu wěi xù diāo · lit. to use a dog's tail as a substitute for sable fur (idiom); fig. a worthless sequel to a masterpiece
Character breakdown
Study each Hanzi separately, then return to the complete word so pronunciation, meaning, and movement stay connected.
How to learn 狗尾续貂
Listen once without reading, repeat the pinyin with its tones, then write every character in sequence. Finally, recall the complete meaning instead of memorizing each character as an isolated translation.
When the word appears in a sentence, check whether its part of speech and meaning match the definition shown here. Chinese words can change nuance with context.
Words with the same characters
Compare how a familiar Hanzi changes meaning inside another word.
dog; CL:隻|只[zhi1],條|条[tiao2]
继续jìxùto continue; to proceed with; to go on with
持续chíxùto continue; to persist; to last; sustainable; preservation
连续liánxùcontinuous; in a row; serial; consecutive
陆续lùxùin turn; successively; one after the other; bit by bit
手续shǒuxùprocedure; CL:道[dao4],個|个[ge4]; formalities