生搬硬套
shēng bān yìng tào
to copy mechanically; to apply rigidly without regard to circumstances
Character by character
生shēng
raw
raw
搬bān
move
move
硬yìng
forcibly
forcibly
套tào
apply
apply
Example
别人的成功经验可以参考，但不能生搬硬套，要看自己的条件。
Other people’s successful experience is worth learning from, but you cannot copy it wholesale; you have to look at your own conditions.
Tone: negative (criticism).
Usage and origin
A reproach for importing a theory, a model or a method without adapting it: 生搬硬套外国经验／书本知识. It was a charge each side in the 1919 debate could level at careless importers of foreign isms.
Learn this in Lesson 257 · HSK 9+: 问题与主义 (Problems and isms)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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