How do you pronounce 虎踞龙盘?

虎踞龙盘 is pronounced as "hǔ jù lóng pán" in Mandarin Chinese.

虎踞龙盘

Q: What does 虎踞龙盘 mean?

虎踞龙盘 (hǔ jù lóng pán) literally means "Tiger crouch dragon coil" and metaphorically means "Commanding imposing strategic position". It belongs to the Relationships & Character category of Chinese idioms.

Q: When is 虎踞龙盘 used?

虎踞龙盘 is used when The ancient fortress commanded the mountain pass with intimidating strategic position.

虎踞龙盘 (hǔ jù lóng pán) literally means “tiger crouch dragon coil” and expresses “commanding imposing strategic position”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving relationships and character.

Also searched as: hu ju long pan, hu ju long pan,虎踞龙盘 meaning, 虎踞龙盘 in english

Commanding imposing strategic position

Pronunciation: hǔ jù lóng pán Literal meaning: Tiger crouch dragon coil

Origin & Usage

Zhuge Liang is said to have described the terrain at present-day Nanjing as a coiling dragon (龙盘) and a crouching tiger (虎踞) — the ridge line curling round and the rock outcrop hunched above the river. Both animals are shown gathered rather than in motion, which is the sense being conveyed: not aggression but potential, a position that does not need to do anything to be formidable. Terrain first, and by extension any commanding strategic position.

Examples

English: "The ancient fortress commanded the mountain pass with intimidating strategic position"

Chinese: 这座古堡以令人生畏的战略位置控制着山口

Related Chinese Idioms

Similar idioms about relationships & character

叶公好龙

yè gōng hào lóng

Professed love hiding actual fear

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直捣黄龙

zhí dǎo huáng lóng

Strike directly at the heart of enemy territory

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来龙去脉

lái lóng qù mài

The whole story; causes and effects

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两虎相争

liǎng hǔ xiāng zhēng

Fierce competition between equals

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三人成虎

sān rén chéng hǔ

Repeated lie becomes truth

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骑虎难下

qí hǔ nán xià

Unable to stop dangerous course

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马马虎虎

mǎ mǎ hǔ hǔ

Just so-so or passable quality

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与虎谋皮

yǔ hǔ móu pí

Asking someone to sacrifice their core interests

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does 虎踞龙盘 mean in English?

虎踞龙盘 (hǔ jù lóng pán) literally translates to “Tiger crouch dragon coil” and is used to express “Commanding imposing strategic position”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Relationships & Character category.