諺語 · a single proverb
老虎掛念珠——口善心不善
Simplified: 老虎挂念珠——口善心不善
What does 老虎掛念珠——口善心不善 (lǎo hǔ guà niàn zhū——kǒu shàn xīn bù shàn) mean?
老虎掛念珠——口善心不善 (lǎo hǔ guà niàn zhū——kǒu shàn xīn bù shàn) is a two-part riddle-saying (xiēhòuyǔ 歇後語). Word for word it reads "A tiger wearing prayer beads-kind words but an unkind heart." In use it means: Someone who disguises their cruel nature with pious or gentle words. The outward show of virtue conceals predatory intentions. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Wood note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Tiger.
Literally: "A tiger wearing prayer beads-kind words but an unkind heart.."
The reading
Religious trappings do not make a soul gentle any more than a costume makes an actor into the character. The beads clack with every step, but the claws are still there underneath. People who need to advertise their goodness often have the most to hide. Real kindness does not announce itself; it simply acts and moves on. The prayer is only as good as the hands that hold it.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional folk xiehouyu, found in northern Chinese collections
Sits beside
井底之蛙
jǐng dǐ zhī wā
Someone with an extremely narrow view of the world, who mistakes the small circle of sky above the well for the whole sky.
冰凍三尺，非一日之寒
bīng dòng sān chǐ, fēi yī rì zhī hán
Nothing deep-a skill, a habit, a ruin-forms overnight.
心急吃不了熱豆腐
xīn jí chī bù liǎo rè dòu fu
Impatience will not speed things up.
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 Humility & Self-Mastery, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Tiger, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 老虎掛念珠——口善心不善 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 老虎掛念珠——口善心不善 (lǎo hǔ guà niàn zhū——kǒu shàn xīn bù shàn) is a two-part riddle-saying (xiēhòuyǔ 歇後語), and it comes from Traditional folk xiehouyu, found in northern Chinese collections. 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 老虎掛念珠——口善心不善?
In Mandarin it is lǎo hǔ guà niàn zhū——kǒu shàn xīn bù shàn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 老虎掛念珠——口善心不善 aloud in Mandarin.