相形见拙 xiāng xíng jiàn zhuō To appear clumsy in comparison

Explanation

比喻和同类的事物相比较，显出自己的不足。

To compare with similar things to show one's own shortcomings.

Origin Story

话说唐朝时期，有两个年轻的书法家，张三和李四，他们都以精湛的书法闻名于一方。一日，他们决定在集市上公开展示他们的作品，以比试高下。张三率先展示了他的作品，字体工整秀丽，气势磅礴，观者无不赞叹。然而，轮到李四展示时，他的作品虽然也写得不错，但与张三的作品相比，就显得逊色不少了，显得笨拙，甚至有些稚嫩。人们不禁感叹，李四的书法虽然不错，但在张三面前却相形见拙了。李四看着张三的作品，也默默地反思了自己的不足，发奋苦练，最终也成为了一代书法大师。这个故事告诉我们，要不断学习，才能超越自我，才能避免相形见拙。

huà shuō Táng Cháo shíqī，yǒu liǎng gè nián qīng de shūfā jiā，Zhāng Sān hé Lǐ Sì，tāmen dōu yǐ jīngzhàn de shūfā wénmíng yú yīfāng。yī rì，tāmen juédìng zài jíshì shàng gōngkāi zhǎnshì tāmen de zuòpǐn，yǐ bǐshì gāo xià。Zhāng Sān xiān shōu zhǎnshì le tā de zuòpǐn，zìtǐ gōngzhěng xiùlì，qìshì bàngbó，guān zhě wú bù zàntàn。rán'ér，lún dào Lǐ Sì zhǎnshì shí，tā de zuòpǐn suīrán yě xiě de bù cuò，dàn yǔ Zhāng Sān de zuòpǐn xiāngbǐ，jiù xiǎn de xùnsè bù shǎo le，xiǎn de bènzhuō，shènzhì yǒuxiē zhìnèn。rénmen bù jīn gǎntàn，Lǐ Sì de shūfā suīrán bù cuò，dàn zài Zhāng Sān miàn qián què xiāngxíng jiàn zhuō le。Lǐ Sì kànzhe Zhāng Sān de zuòpǐn，yě mòmò de fǎnsī le zìjǐ de bùzú，fāfèn kǔliàn，zhōng yú yě chéngwéi le yīdài shūfā dàshī。zhège gùshì gàosù wǒmen，yào bùduàn xuéxí，cáinéng chāoyuè zìwǒ，cáinéng bìmiǎn xiāngxíng jiàn zhuō。

During the Tang Dynasty, there were two young calligraphers, Zhang San and Li Si, both renowned for their exquisite calligraphy. One day, they decided to publicly display their works in a market to compare their skills. Zhang San showcased his works first; the characters were neat and elegant, and the overall style was powerful, captivating the audience with admiration. However, when Li Si presented his works, although commendable, they seemed rather inferior in comparison to Zhang San’s, appearing clumsy and even slightly immature. People couldn't help but sigh that while Li Si's calligraphy was good, it paled in comparison to Zhang San's. Li Si, observing Zhang San’s works, silently reflected on his own shortcomings and dedicated himself to rigorous practice. Eventually, he too, became a master calligrapher. This story illustrates the importance of continuous learning to surpass oneself and avoid appearing inadequate.

Usage

用作谓语、定语；多用于书面语；含贬义。

yòng zuò wèiyǔ、dìngyǔ；duō yòng yú shūmiàn yǔ；hán biǎnyì。

Used as a predicate and attributive; mostly used in written language; has derogatory meaning.

Examples

• 他的书法作品与名家相比，相形见拙。

  tā de shūfā zuòpǐn yǔ míngjiā xiāngbǐ，xiāngxíng jiàn zhuō。

  His calligraphy pales in comparison to that of famous masters.

• 这次比赛，我们队相形见拙，输得很惨。

  zhè cì bǐsài，wǒmen duì xiāngxíng jiàn zhuō，shū de hěn cǎn。

  In this competition, our team was outclassed and lost badly.

Related Idioms

• 相形见绌

• 黯然失色

Opposite Idioms

• 青出于蓝

• 技压群雄