谈虎色变
谈虎色变 (tán hǔ sè biàn) literally means “speak of the tiger, face changes” and expresses “turn pale at the mere mention of it”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: tan hu se bian, tan hu se bian,谈虎色变 meaning, 谈虎色变 in english
Turn pale at the mere mention of it
Pronunciation: tán hǔ sè biàn Literal meaning: Speak of the tiger, face changes
Origin & Usage
The Cheng brothers' recorded conversations distinguish knowing about a thing from having met it. Everyone knows tigers are dangerous, they observed, but the man whose face changes (色变) when a tiger (虎) is merely mentioned (谈) is the farmer who was mauled by one. The point is epistemological: his knowledge and yours use the same words and are not the same knowledge. The phrase is used of a fear that is disproportionate on paper and entirely earned in fact.
Examples
English: "Anyone who lived through that crash still changes colour at the word"
Chinese: 经历过那场崩盘的人，至今一提起就变了脸色
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
一波三折
yī bō sān zhé
Many twists and turns
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改邪归正
gǎi xié guī zhèng
Return to righteousness
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好逸恶劳
hào yì wù láo
Shirk effort by preference
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物极必反
wù jí bì fǎn
Push far enough and it turns
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塞翁失马
sài wēng shī mǎ
Misfortune might be a blessing
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近水楼台
jìn shuǐ lóu tái
Advantage from close connections
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夜郎自大
yè láng zì dà
Overestimate oneself
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因果报应
yīn guǒ bào yìng
Good and evil deeds repaid in kind
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 谈虎色变 mean in English?
谈虎色变 (tán hǔ sè biàn) literally translates to “Speak of the tiger, face changes” and is used to express “Turn pale at the mere mention of it”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 谈虎色变 used?
Situation: Anyone who lived through that crash still changes colour at the word
What is the pinyin for 谈虎色变?
The pinyin pronunciation for 谈虎色变 is “tán hǔ sè biàn”.