羊质虎皮
羊质虎皮 (yáng zhì hǔ pí) literally means “a sheep's substance in a tiger's hide” and expresses “imposing outside, timid within”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving relationships and character.
Also searched as: yang zhi hu pi, yang zhi hu pi,羊质虎皮 meaning, 羊质虎皮 in english
Imposing outside, timid within
Pronunciation: yáng zhì hǔ pí Literal meaning: A sheep's substance in a tiger's hide
Origin & Usage
Yang Xiong's 《法言·吾子》 supplies the whole image in one line: a sheep (羊) wearing a tiger's (虎) hide (皮) is delighted when it sees grass and trembles when it sees a jackal — because the hide changed, and nothing else did. The phrase is the Chinese answer to every borrowed uniform and inherited title, and its precision is in the word 质, substance: it does not accuse anyone of pretending, only of being unchanged underneath. What exposes the sheep is never the disguise itself. It is the first moment that requires the thing the disguise was standing in for.
Examples
English: "The title was impressive; the authority behind it was not."
Chinese: 他不过羊质虎皮，遇事就露怯。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about relationships & character
虎入羊群
hǔ rù yáng qún
Unstoppable force against the defenceless
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挂羊头卖狗肉
guà yáng tóu mài gǒu ròu
Advertise one thing and deliver another
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羚羊挂角
líng yáng guà jiǎo
Artistry that leaves no trace
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歧路亡羊
qí lù wáng yáng
Too many choices lead nowhere
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亡羊得牛
wáng yáng dé niú
A small loss that yields a greater gain
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羊肠小道
yáng cháng xiǎo dào
A narrow, winding, difficult road
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亡羊补牢
wáng yáng bǔ láo
Never too late to fix
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顺手牵羊
shùn shǒu qiān yáng
Exploit small opportunities
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 羊质虎皮 mean in English?
羊质虎皮 (yáng zhì hǔ pí) literally translates to “A sheep's substance in a tiger's hide” and is used to express “Imposing outside, timid within”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Relationships & Character category.
When is 羊质虎皮 used?
Situation: The title was impressive; the authority behind it was not.
What is the pinyin for 羊质虎皮?
The pinyin pronunciation for 羊质虎皮 is “yáng zhì hǔ pí”.
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