諺語 · a single proverb
兩虎相鬥，必有一傷
Simplified: 两虎相斗，必有一伤
What does 兩虎相鬥，必有一傷 (liǎng hǔ xiāng dòu bì yǒu yī shāng) mean?
兩虎相鬥，必有一傷 (liǎng hǔ xiāng dòu bì yǒu yī shāng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "when two tigers fight, one must be wounded." In use it means: Conflict between equals always costs both sides; even the winner walks away diminished. 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: "when two tigers fight, one must be wounded."
The reading
Both tigers are strong. Both tigers are fast. That is exactly why the fight is expensive. Equality in combat does not produce a clean victory. It produces two damaged animals, one of whom is slightly less damaged. The question was never who would win. It was whether winning is worth the wound.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Records of the Grand Historian 史記, Lian Po 廉頗 and Lin Xiangru 藺相如
Sits beside
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 Courage & Decisive Action, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Tiger, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 兩虎相鬥，必有一傷 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 兩虎相鬥，必有一傷 (liǎng hǔ xiāng dòu bì yǒu yī shāng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Records of the Grand Historian 史記, Lian Po 廉頗 and Lin Xiangru 藺相如. 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 兩虎相鬥，必有一傷?
In Mandarin it is liǎng hǔ xiāng dòu bì yǒu yī shāng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 兩虎相鬥，必有一傷 aloud in Mandarin.