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一蟹不如一蟹

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Chinese

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one; single; a
one; single; a; (before verbs) as soon as, once; (before a noun) entire (family, etc.)
 
crab
to be not like; to be not equal to; to be not as good as
to be not like; to be not equal to; to be not as good as; cannot compare to; to be inferior to
 
one; single; a
one; single; a; (before verbs) as soon as, once; (before a noun) entire (family, etc.)
 
crab
trad. (一蟹不如一蟹) 不如
simp. #(一蟹不如一蟹) 不如
Literally: “each crab is smaller than the one before”.

Etymology

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From Words of Aizi by Su Shi:

艾子居人:「?」:「蝤蛑。」居人:「?」:「螃蟹。」狀貌居人:「?」:「彭越。」艾子喟然:「一蟹不如一蟹!」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
艾子居人:「?」:「蝤蛑。」居人:「?」:「螃蟹。」状貌居人:「?」:「彭越。」艾子喟然:「一蟹不如一蟹!」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: Su Shi, 艾子雜說 (Words of Aizi)
Àizǐ xíng yú hǎi shàng, jiàn yī wù yuán ér biǎn, qiě duō zú, wèn jūrén yuē: “Cǐ hé wù yě?” Yuē: “Qiúmóu yě.” Jì yòu jiàn yī wù, yuán biǎn duō zú, wèn jūrén yuē: “Cǐ hé wù yě?” Yuē: “Pángxiè yě.” Yòu yú hòu dé yī wù, zhuàngmào jiē ruò qián suǒ jiàn ér jí xiǎo, wèn jūrén yuē: “Cǐ hé wù yě?” Yuē: “Péngyuè yě.” Àizǐ kuìrán tàn yuē: “Hé yīxièbùrúyīxiè yě!” [Pinyin]
Aizi was strolling by the sea. He saw a round and flat creature with many legs. He asked a local person, "What is this?" "It's a swimming crab (Portunidae)," answered that person. Then Aizi saw another creature, also round and flat, with many legs. Aizi then asked, "What is this?" "It's a common crab (Brachyura)." After that Aizi saw another creature again. It looked like those he just saw but was very small. He asked, "What is this?" "It's a sesarmid crab (Sesarmidae)." Aizi then sighed and said, "Why each crab I saw is smaller than the one before?"

Pronunciation

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Idiom

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一蟹不如一蟹

  1. each one is worse than the one before

Synonyms

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