諺語 · a single proverb

狐hú假jiǎ虎hǔ威wēi

hú jiǎ hǔ wēi

What does 狐假虎威 (hú jiǎ hǔ wēi) mean?

狐假虎威 (hú jiǎ hǔ wēi) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "fox borrows tiger's authority." In use it means: Using another's power to bully or impress; claiming borrowed authority. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Tiger.

Literally: "fox borrows tiger's authority."

The reading

The fox with no claws of its own walks in the shadow of the tiger and lets others mistake the shadow for substance. Borrowed power is a costume, and the moment its source departs, so does the authority. Those who build nothing of their own are always one step from nakedness.

What kind of proverb it is

Source Warring States 戰國策·楚策一 (Zhàn Guó Cè, Chu Strategies I)

Sits beside

坐井觀天

zuò jǐng guān tiān

Have a limited view.

寸進尺退

cùn jìn chǐ tuì

Gain an inch and lose a foot.

早知今日，何必當初

zǎo zhī jīn rì hé bì dāng chū

Had I known how it would turn out, I would have acted differently.

Keep reading

Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Tiger, Year of the Frog, and Year of the Rat.

Questions

Is 狐假虎威 a real Chinese proverb?

Yes. 狐假虎威 (hú jiǎ hǔ wēi) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Warring States 戰國策·楚策一 (Zhàn Guó Cè, Chu Strategies I). It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.

How do you pronounce 狐假虎威?

In Mandarin it is hú jiǎ hǔ wēi. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 狐假虎威 aloud in Mandarin.