邯かん鄲たんの歩あゆみ

expression

losing one's own way by blindly imitating others; forgetting one's original skill while trying to copy someone else

A set phrase from a classical Chinese story. Used to warn against abandoning one's own strengths in pursuit of another's style, only to end up with nothing. Rare in modern conversation; mostly found in literary or proverbial contexts.

• 彼かれは外がい国こくのやり方かたを真似まねて、結けっ局きょく邯かん鄲たんの歩あゆみになってしまった。

  He tried to imitate the foreign method and ended up losing his own way, like the man from Kantan.