瞎子摸象 xiā zi mō xiàng

DEFINITIONS

  1. blind people touch an elephant (idiom, from Nirvana sutra 大般涅槃經|大般涅盘经[da4 ban1 Nie4 pan2 jing1]); fig. unable to see the big picture
  2. to mistake the part for the whole
  3. unable to see the wood for the trees

CHARACTERS

瞎 xiā
HSK 5
blind, reckless; rash
子 zi
HSK 1
offspring, child; fruit, seed of; 1st terrestrial branch
摸 mō
HSK 5
gently touch with hand; caress
象 xiàng
HSK 4
elephant; ivory; figure, image