班门弄斧 (bān mén nòng fǔ) — to display one's meager skill in front of an expert; to show off before a master
Definition
Idiom: showing off one's small skill in front of a true master (literally 'wielding an axe at Master Lu Ban's door'). Used to humbly admit one's amateur status or to mock someone's pretentious display.
idiom
to display one's meager skill in front of an expertto show off before a master
Examples
- ，班门弄斧。Zài nín zhè wèi dà huà jiā miàn qián, wǒ kě bù gǎn bān mén nòng fǔ.In front of a great painter like you, I wouldn't dare to show off my meager skills.
- ，班门弄斧。Tā jū rán zài jiào shòu miàn qián dà tán jīng jì xué, zhēn shì bān mén nòng fǔ.He actually started talking about economics in front of the professor — what an amateur showing off before an expert.
- ，班门弄斧，。Wǒ zhǐ shì lüè zhī pí máo, zài zhuān jiā miàn qián bān mén nòng fǔ le, qǐng duō zhǐ jiào.I only know a smattering, so I'm showing off ignorantly before an expert — please give me your guidance.
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