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依樣畫葫蘆

简依样画葫芦 · 繁依樣畫葫蘆

Mandarin · pinyin yī yàng huà hú lu

lit. to draw a gourd from the model (idiom)
fig. to copy sth mechanically without attempt at originality

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Characters in this entry

依: yī · rely on, be set in; consent, obey a wish
樣: yàng · shape, form, pattern, style
畫: huà · delineate, painting, picture, drawing; draw
葫: hú · bottle-gourd
蘆: Look up this written character
样: yàng · shape, form, pattern, style
画: huà · a painting, picture, drawing; to draw
芦: lú · rushes, reeds

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1–4–4–2–5 · yi1 yang4 hua4 hu2 lu5

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

依樣畫葫蘆 · find source passages ↗ · 依样画葫芦 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 2 Cantonese readings

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

ji1 joeng6 waa2 wu4 lou4 · ji1 joeng6 waak6 wu4 lou4

Cantonese word readings for 依樣畫葫蘆. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(figurative) to copy something mechanically without attempt at originality

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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