五十步笑百步
wǔ​shí​bù​xiào​bǎi​bù

the pot calling the kettle black

  • created sense approved 五十步笑百步 · wǔ​shí​bù​xiào​bǎi​bù · the pot calling the kettle black — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    五十步笑百步

    wǔ​shí​bù​xiào​bǎi​bù

    the pot calling the kettle black

    Literal meaning: one who retreated 50 steps laughs at one who retreated 100 steps. Figurative meaning: to mock someone for the same faults or mistakes that one has oneself, even if to a slightly lesser degree.

    五十 (literal) → 五十 · wǔ​shí · fifty 步 (literal) → 步 · bù · [measure word] 笑 (literal) → 笑 · xiào · to ridicule 百 (literal) → 百 · bǎi · hundred 步 (literal) → 步 · bù · [measure word]

    Changed: simplified, traditional, gloss, definition, pinyin, variant pinyin, variants, separable parts, decomposition

    created sense