Chinese language vocabulary 汉语词汇 三脚猫 (sānjiǎomāo) Jack of all trades and master of none

三脚猫 (sānjiǎomāo) Jack of all trades and master of none

Usage:

 

“三脚猫”是指什么都懂一点儿，什么都不精通的人。“三脚猫”最早指的是只有三只腿却被人当成飞熊的猫。后来指捕鼠技能很不错，却“走不成步”的猫。久而久之，“三脚猫”一词成了做事技艺不精的意思了。

The meaning of “三脚猫(sānjiǎomāo)” is equivalent to “jack of all trades and master of none” in English. At first, the word referred to a three-leg cat which was mistaken by people for a flying bear. Later, the word indicated the cats which were skillful in hunting but had difficulty in walking. Gradually, the word is changed to mean being unprofessional in doing things.

Sentences:

 

1、Nǐ zhèdiǎn sānjiǎomāo gōngfū xiǎng xiàhǔ shuí?
你这点三脚猫功夫想吓唬谁？

Your kung fu is so bad. Who do you think you can scare?

 

2、Bié kàn tā yí fù zhuānjiā de yàngzi, qíshí zhǐshì gè sānjiǎomāo bà le.
别看他一副专家的样子，其实只是个三脚猫罢了。

Don't be fooled by appearance. He is not an expert, but just a jack-of-all-trades.