Tā zǒng shuō zìjǐ bènniǎoxiānfēi, qíshí shì hěn qiānxū.
He always says he's just compensating for being slow, but really he's being modest.
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history
From Yuan-dynasty playwright Guan Hanqing's 《陈母教子》, where a mother tells her less-gifted son that slow birds take flight first so they can still reach the goal. Often used modestly about oneself.
usage
Commonly said about oneself as self-deprecating humility; sounds condescending if used to describe someone else directly.
