10 Fierce Chinese Idioms With Tiger (虎)
Explore powerful Chinese idioms featuring the tiger (虎), representing courage, power, and authority.
The tiger (虎, hǔ) represents courage, power, and authority in Chinese culture. Known as the king of beasts, tiger idioms often describe bravery, danger, or formidable opponents.
狐假虎威
hú jiǎ hǔ wēiBorrow 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...
Example
The junior manager kept dropping the CEO's name to get his way
这个初级经理总是搬出CEO的名字来达到目的
两虎相争
liǎng hǔ xiāng zhēngFierce competition between equals
Literal: Two tigers fight
The image of two (两) tigers (虎) fighting (相争) comes from ancient observations of territorial conflicts, documented in early Chinese zoological texts. The original context appears in strategic texts discussing how such conflicts inevitably result in injury to both parties. The phrase gained prominenc...
Example
When the two star players fought for team leadership, it damaged team morale and performance
当两位明星球员争夺队伍领导权时，损害了团队士气和表现
三人成虎
sān rén chéng hǔRepeated 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...
Example
The untrue rumor about a product defect spread on social media until customers started believing it without evidence
关于产品缺陷的不实传言在社交媒体上传播，直到顾客开始在没有证据的情况下相信它
骑虎难下
qí hǔ nán xiàUnable to stop dangerous course
Literal: Hard to dismount tiger
This precarious idiom describes the difficulty of dismounting (难下) once riding (骑) a tiger (虎), originating from Tang Dynasty political commentary. It illustrated how beginning dangerous enterprises creates situations where stopping becomes more perilous than continuing. The tiger metaphor perfectly...
Example
The politician found himself unable to reverse his controversial policy without losing credibility
这位政治家发现自己无法在不失去信誉的情况下撤回有争议的政策
马马虎虎
mǎ mǎ hǔ hǔJust 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...
Example
His performance in the presentation was just passable, neither impressive nor terrible
他在演讲中的表现只是马马虎虎，既不出色也不糟糕
与虎谋皮
yǔ hǔ móu píAsking someone to sacrifice their core interests
Literal: With tiger plot skin
Originating from the 'Strategies of the Warring States' around 300 BCE, the phrase describes the futility of discussing with a tiger (与虎) about acquiring its skin (谋皮). The metaphor emerged from diplomatic discourse about impossible negotiations where self-preservation inevitably overrides agreement...
Example
Negotiating with the monopoly about fair pricing was like asking a tiger for its own hide
与垄断企业谈判公平定价就像与虎谋皮
虎踞龙盘
hǔ jù lóng pánCommanding imposing strategic position
Literal: Tiger crouch dragon coil
Three Kingdoms period geographers first described Nanjing's terrain as having tigers crouching (虎踞) and dragons coiling (龙盘). The image combined earth's greatest predator with its supreme mythical creature to capture the city's naturally commanding position. Tang Dynasty writers expanded it to descr...
Example
The ancient fortress commanded the mountain pass with intimidating strategic position
这座古堡以令人生畏的战略位置控制着山口
虎头蛇尾
hǔ tóu shé wěiStrong 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...
Example
The novel began with dramatic intensity but ended with a weak, rushed conclusion
这部小说开头激烈，但以弱且仓促的结尾收场
如虎添翼
rú hǔ tiān yìAdd 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...
Example
The new funding will greatly strengthen our capabilities.
新的资金将使我们如虎添翼。
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