Tiếng Việt · Idiom Attested

họa hổ bất thành

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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.

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