諺語 · a single proverb

騎qí虎hǔ難nán下xià——jìn——進tuì退liǎng兩nán難

Simplified: 骑虎难下——进退两难

qí hǔ nán xià——jìn tuì liǎng nán

What does 騎虎難下——進退兩難 (qí hǔ nán xià——jìn tuì liǎng nán) mean?

騎虎難下——進退兩難 (qí hǔ nán xià——jìn tuì liǎng nán) is a two-part riddle-saying (xiēhòuyǔ 歇後語). Word for word it reads "Riding a tiger and unable to dismount-stuck between advancing and retreating." In use it means: Once committed to a dangerous course of action, it becomes impossible to stop safely. Describes a dilemma where both continuing and quitting carry serious risks. 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 and unable to dismount-stuck between advancing and retreating.."

The reading

Some commitments reveal their true cost only after we are already moving too fast to reconsider. The tiger does not care about our second thoughts; it only runs forward. This is why the moment before mounting matters more than any moment after. Courage is not always about charging ahead; sometimes it is about admitting the ride was a mistake while finding the least harmful way down. The best plans include an exit before they need one.

What kind of proverb it is

Source Classical idiom with xiehouyu form, from Book of Jin (晉書)

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——進退兩難 a real Chinese proverb?

Yes. 騎虎難下——進退兩難 (qí hǔ nán xià——jìn tuì liǎng nán) is a two-part riddle-saying (xiēhòuyǔ 歇後語), and it comes from Classical idiom with xiehouyu form, from Book of Jin (晉書). 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——進退兩難?

In Mandarin it is qí hǔ nán xià——jìn tuì liǎng nán. 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——進退兩難 aloud in Mandarin.