10 Chinese Idioms With Dog (犬/狗)

Borrow authority to intimidate

Literal: Fox uses tiger's power

This idiom emerged from a Warring States period fable where a fox (狐) borrowed (假) the authority (威) of a tiger (虎) to intimidate other animals. The story first appeared in the Zhan Guo Ce, using the clever fox and powerful tiger to criticize political parasites who derived their influence from powe...

Volunteer oneself confidently

Literal: Mao Sui recommends himself

Named after Mao Sui (毛遂), a lesser official from the Warring States period (475-221 BCE) who boldly recommended (荐) himself (自) for a crucial diplomatic mission. Despite his low rank, he demonstrated such eloquence and courage that he successfully secured an alliance for his state. The story reflect...

Run out of tricks

Literal: Donkey's tricks exhausted

This wry expression originates from a Tang Dynasty essay about a donkey (驴) in Guizhou (黔) province whose initial novelty made it seem special, until its limited tricks (技) were exhausted (穷). The story mocks superficial talents that quickly reveal their limitations. When first brought to the region...

Wait passively for luck

Literal: Guard tree wait rabbit

This Warring States period parable tells of a farmer who, after seeing a rabbit die by running into a tree stump (株), waited (待) endlessly for more rabbits (兔) at the same spot. His guard (守) of the stump became a classic example of misguided persistence and inflexible thinking. The story appeared i...

Repeated lie becomes truth

Literal: Three people make tiger real

This idiom originates from the Wei state minister Pang Cong's warning to his king about how three (三) people's (人) repeated lies can make even an absurd claim - like a tiger (虎) loose in the marketplace - seem true (成). The story, recorded in Warring States texts, demonstrates how repeated rumors ca...

Needlessly suspicious

Literal: Bow in cup snake shadow

This tale from the Jin Dynasty chronicles a scholar who saw a bow's (弓) reflection in his cup (杯), mistaking it for a snake (蛇) shadow (影). His subsequent illness from fear only subsided when he discovered the truth. First recorded in 'Jin Shu', the story resonated with Buddhist teachings about how ...

Just so-so or passable quality

Literal: Horse horse tiger tiger

This moderate assessment idiom, literally 'horse (马) horse tiger (虎) tiger,' emerged from a folk tale about a careless artist whose painting was neither clearly a horse nor a tiger. During the Qing Dynasty, it appeared in vernacular literature describing casual or imprecise work. The repeating anima...

Strong start with weak finish

Literal: Tiger head snake tail

Tang Dynasty literary critics gave us this image of a tiger's head (虎头) with a snake's tail (蛇尾) to describe works that begin powerfully but end weakly. Song Dynasty writers expanded it beyond literature to any project showing declining quality over time. The zoological mismatch perfectly captured t...

To lose everything; complete failure

Literal: Chicken flies away and eggs broken

This vivid idiom depicts the scene of trying to catch a chicken and accidentally breaking its eggs in the process - losing both the bird and its potential offspring. It emerged from rural Chinese life where chickens represented valuable assets. The phrase captures the frustration of a double loss, p...

Add to one's strength; become even more powerful

Literal: Like tiger adding wings

This idiom describes being like a tiger (如虎) that adds (添) wings (翼). A tiger is already formidable; with wings, it becomes unstoppable. The phrase describes adding capabilities to something already powerful. It appeared in texts describing reinforcements to already strong positions. Modern usage de...