▸ 从前cóng qián有yǒu一位yī wèi画家huà jiā，他tā擅长shàn cháng画huà动物dòng wù。

Once upon a time, there was a painter who was good at painting animals.

▸ 有一天yǒu yī tiān，他tā正在zhèng zài画huà一只yī zhī老虎lǎo hǔ，画到huà dào一半yī bàn的de时候shí hòu，另一个人lìng yī gè rén来lái请qǐng他tā画huà一匹yī pǐ马mǎ。

One day, while he was painting a tiger and had painted half of it, another person came to ask him to paint a horse.

▸ 这位zhè wèi画家huà jiā不想bù xiǎng重新chóng xīn画huà，就jiù在zài原来yuán lái那幅nà fú老虎lǎo hǔ画huà上shàng加jiā了le马mǎ的de耳朵ěr duo和hé蹄子tí zi，试图shì tú让ràng这幅zhè fú画huà同时tóng shí看起来kàn qǐ lái像xiàng马mǎ又yòu像xiàng老虎lǎo hǔ。

The painter did not want to start over, so he added horse ears and hooves to the original tiger painting, trying to make it look like both a horse and a tiger at the same time.

▸ 后来hòu lái，他的tā de儿子ér zi看到kàn dào这幅zhè fú画huà后hòu搞不清楚gǎo bù qīng chu那nà是shì马mǎ还是hái shì老虎lǎo hǔ。

Later, his son saw the painting and could not figure out whether it was a horse or a tiger.

▸ 有一天yǒu yī tiān，儿子ér zi在zài野外yě wài遇到yù dào了le一只yī zhī真正zhēn zhèng的de老虎lǎo hǔ，以为yǐ wéi那nà是shì马mǎ，结果jié guǒ被bèi老虎lǎo hǔ吃掉chī diào了le。

One day, the son encountered a real tiger in the wild and thought it was a horse, and as a result, he was eaten by the tiger.

▸ 画家huà jiā非常fēi cháng后悔hòu huǐ，从此cóng cǐ以后yǐ hòu人们rén men用yòng「马马虎虎mǎ mǎ hū hū」来lái形容xíng róng做事zuò shì不bù认真rèn zhēn、草草了事cǎo cǎo liǎo shì，可能kě néng会huì带来dài lái严重yán zhòng后果hòu guǒ。

The painter was very regretful, and from then on, people used '馬馬虎虎' to describe doing things carelessly or half-heartedly, which could lead to serious consequences.

▸ 「马马虎虎mǎ mǎ hū hū」这个zhè ge成语chéng yǔ的de意思yì si，就是jiù shì形容xíng róng事情shì qing做zuò得de不够bú gòu仔细zǐ xì、态度tài dù不bù认真rèn zhēn，有时yǒu shí也yě可以kě yǐ指zhǐ一般般yī bān bān、还hái过得去guò de qù。

The idiom '馬馬虎虎' means to describe doing things not carefully enough, with a lack of seriousness, and sometimes it can also mean something is just so-so or passable.

▸ 例如lì rú，有人yǒu rén问wèn你nǐ今天jīn tiān的de考试kǎo shì怎么样zěn me yàng，你nǐ可能kě néng会huì说shuō：「马马虎虎mǎ mǎ hū hū吧ba，不bù难nán也yě不bù简单jiǎn dān。」意思yì si是shì成绩chéng jì可能kě néng不会bú huì太tài差chà，但dàn也yě没méi特别tè bié好hǎo。

For example, if someone asks you how your exam was today, you might say: '馬馬虎虎吧, not too hard, not too easy,' meaning your score might not be too bad, but also not particularly good.

▸ 这个zhè ge成语chéng yǔ提醒tí xǐng我们wǒ men，做zuò事情shì qing不能bù néng随便suí biàn，否则fǒu zé可能kě néng会huì带来dài lái不bù好hǎo的de后果hòu guǒ。

This idiom reminds us that we should not be careless in doing things, otherwise it may lead to bad consequences.

Hover a word for its pinyin & meaning; click to pin it.