諺語 · a single proverb

騎qí虎hǔ難nán下xià

Simplified: 骑虎难下

qí hǔ nán xià

What does 騎虎難下 (qí hǔ nán xià) mean?

騎虎難下 (qí hǔ nán xià) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "riding a tiger, hard to dismount." In use it means: Once you start something dangerous, stopping can be more dangerous than continuing. 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: "riding a tiger, hard to dismount."

The reading

The tiger was exciting to mount. The view from up there is impressive. But now it is moving, and the ground looks very far away, and the tiger has not agreed to stop. The lesson is not about tigers. It is about commitments made without thinking about the exit.

What kind of proverb it is

Source Book of Jin 晉書 (溫嶠傳); ancient idiom

Sits beside

暗渡陳倉

àn dù chén cāng

Distracting the enemy with an obvious feint while your real move happens elsewhere.

運籌帷幄

yùn chóu wéi wò

Planning masterfully behind the scenes.

不動如山

bù dòng rú shān

Stay firm and steady when everything around you is in chaos.

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 騎虎難下 a real Chinese proverb?

Yes. 騎虎難下 (qí hǔ nán xià) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Book of Jin 晉書 (溫嶠傳); ancient idiom. 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 騎虎難下?

In Mandarin it is qí hǔ nán xià. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 騎虎難下 aloud in Mandarin.