照猫画虎 paint a tiger by referring to a cat
Explanation
比喻按照现成的样子模仿。
It is used to describe imitating something according to an existing model.
Origin Story
从前，有个年轻人想学习画虎，但他没有见过真正的老虎，只有一只家猫。于是，他便认真地观察这只猫，仔细地描摹它的形态，然后按照猫的样子画老虎。他画出的老虎，虽然有老虎的影子，但更多的是猫的特征，显得滑稽可笑。这便是“照猫画虎”的由来。后来，人们用这个成语来比喻按照现成的样子模仿，缺乏创造性和独特性。
Once upon a time, there was a young man who wanted to learn how to paint tigers, but he had never seen a real tiger before. All he had was a house cat. Therefore, he carefully observed this cat, drawing its shape meticulously, and then painted a tiger based on the cat's appearance. Although the painted tiger had a hint of tiger's appearance, its characteristics were more like a cat, which looked rather funny and ridiculous.This is the origin of the idiom “Zhao Mao Hua Hu”. Later on, people use this idiom to describe blindly imitating something based on an existing model without creativity and uniqueness.
Usage
用作谓语、宾语、定语；指模仿；
Used as predicate, object, attributive; means imitation;
Examples
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他学习绘画，起初只能照猫画虎，后来终于自成一家。
ta xuexi huihua, qichu zhi neng zhaomo huahu, houlai zhongyu zicheng yijia. xiao wang zuoshi quefa chuangxin, zongshi zhaomo huahu, nan yi yousuo tupo
He learned to paint and at first could only copy, but later he developed his own style.
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小王做事缺乏创新，总是照猫画虎，难以有所突破。
Xiaowang lacks innovation at work and always imitates others without breakthroughs