諺語 · a single proverb
如虎添翼
What does 如虎添翼 (rú hǔ tiān yì) mean?
如虎添翼 (rú hǔ tiān yì) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "like a tiger with wings added." In use it means: Something already powerful becoming even more formidable; a strong person or force gaining an additional advantage. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Tiger.
Literally: "like a tiger with wings added."
The reading
The tiger was already dangerous. Now it flies. Some advantages compound rather than add, and the person who was already capable, given one more tool, one more connection, one more piece of knowledge, does not become slightly better. They become categorically different. Find the wing for your existing strength.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Sanguozhi Pinghua 三國志平話; common military metaphor
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 如虎添翼 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 如虎添翼 (rú hǔ tiān yì) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Sanguozhi Pinghua 三國志平話; common military metaphor. 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 如虎添翼?
In Mandarin it is rú hǔ tiān yì. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 如虎添翼 aloud in Mandarin.