附骥尾

附驥尾

fùjìwěi

idiom

Meanings

1 to cling to a swift horse's tail
2 to ride on a great man's coattails to make one's name
3 humble phrase for benefiting from association with someone famous

Characters

thoroughbred, fast horse

Examples

HSK 7-9

这本论文集能收录拙作，实在是附骥尾。

Zhè běn lùnwén jí néng shōulù zhuōzuò, shízài shì fùjìwěi.

Having my humble piece included in this volume is really riding on the masters' coattails.

HSK 7-9

小演员跟着大牌一起宣传，难免有附骥尾之嫌。

Xiǎo yǎnyuán gēnzhe dàpái yìqǐ xuānchuán, nánmiǎn yǒu fùjìwěi zhī xián.

When a minor actor promotes alongside a big star, it's hard not to look like they're piggybacking on the fame.

HSK 7-9

能与诸位前辈同列，算是附骥尾了。

Néng yǔ zhūwèi qiánbèi tóng liè, suànshì fùjìwěi le.

To be listed alongside these elders - I'm merely hitching a ride on their glory.

Tips

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Classical and literary. Typically used self-deprecatingly: 'my success is just because I latched onto someone great.' The image of a fly riding a fast horse's tail to cover a thousand 里 comes from 史记.

Stroke Order

附 fù

骥 jì

尾 wěi