邯hán郸dān学xué步bù

Literal: to learn to walk in Handan
Figurative: To imitate others blindly and lose even one's own original ability in the process.

Where does 邯郸学步 come from?

Tradition tells of a young man from the state of Yan who, captivated by the graceful gait of the people of Handan (the capital of the state of Zhao), traveled there to learn it. He strove so hard to copy their way of walking that he never mastered it and forgot how to walk in his own manner; in the end he had to crawl back home.

Source (出处): 《庄子》

How is 邯郸学步 used? Two examples

他tā一yī味wèi模mó仿fǎng别bié人rén的de风fēng格gé，结jié果guǒ邯hán郸dān学xué步bù，连lián自zì己jǐ原yuán来lái的de长cháng处chù都dōu丢diū了le。
He blindly imitated other people's style and, like the man learning to walk in Handan, ended up losing even his own strengths.
学xué习xí外wài国guó经jīng验yàn要yào结jié合hé实shí际jì，否fǒu则zé就jiù成chéng了le邯hán郸dān学xué步bù。
Foreign experience must be adapted to one's own reality; otherwise it ends up like learning to walk in Handan.

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