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 wearing a tiger's skin 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
一模一样
yī mú yī yàng
Exactly identical
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以心换心
yǐ xīn huàn xīn
Treat others as yourself
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海纳百川
hǎi nà bǎi chuān
Accept all with open mind
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以和为贵
yǐ hé wéi guì
Value harmony above all
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同舟共济
tóng zhōu gòng jì
Face challenges together
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风雨同舟
fēng yǔ tóng zhōu
Share hardships together
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春风化雨
chūn fēng huà yǔ
Gentle, nurturing influence
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狐假虎威
hú jiǎ hǔ wēi
Borrow authority to intimidate
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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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