họa hổ bất thành
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
The tiger painting that wouldn't come out — a scheme that died on the easel.
Literally: painting the tiger, unfinished
Sources & notes
Discovered via Tục ngữ, cổ ngữ, gia ngôn (Huỳnh Tịnh Của, 1897; public domain, via vi.wikisource); retrieved 2026-08-01. Source: source ↗ Attested in Tục ngữ, cổ ngữ, gia ngôn (Huỳnh Tịnh Của, 1897). Definition is an original editorial synthesis, not copied from the source.
Common questions
What does “họa hổ bất thành” mean?
The tiger painting that wouldn't come out — a scheme that died on the easel. Literally: painting the tiger, unfinished
Is “họa hổ bất thành” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.