họa hổ loại cẩu
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Painted a tiger, produced a dog — ambition's masterpiece, delivered as farce.
Literally: paint a tiger, resemble a dog
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 loại cẩu” mean?
Painted a tiger, produced a dog — ambition's masterpiece, delivered as farce. Literally: paint a tiger, resemble a dog
Is “họa hổ loại cẩu” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.