画地为牢

Traditional form:

畫地為牢

Pinyin (reading):

huàdìwéiláo

Definitions:

• lit. to be confined within a circle drawn on the ground (idiom)
• fig. to confine oneself to a restricted range of activities

Characters:

• 画 - picture, painting, drawing; to draw
• 地 - earth, ground, soil; land, region; structural particle used before a verb
• 为 - to do, to act; to handle, to govern; to be
• 牢 - pen, prison, stable; fast, firm, secure

Traditional characters:

• 畫 - picture, painting, drawing; to draw
• 地 - earth, ground, soil; land, region; structural particle used before a verb
• 為 - to do, to act; to handle, to govern; to be
• 牢 - pen, prison, stable; fast, firm, secure