諺語 · a single proverb

養yǎng虎hǔ為wéi患huàn

Simplified: 养虎为患

yǎng hǔ wéi huàn

What does 養虎為患 (yǎng hǔ wéi huàn) mean?

養虎為患 (yǎng hǔ wéi huàn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "raise a tiger as a disaster." In use it means: Nurturing a potential enemy or threat brings future trouble; leaving danger to grow. 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: "raise a tiger as a disaster."

The reading

The tiger fed by hand remembers the hand but does not become something other than a tiger. Tolerance extended without wisdom can feed what should have been contained, and what grows large in comfort does not shrink when comfort ends. The cub's charm is not a promise about the adult.

What kind of proverb it is

Source Shi Ji 史記·項羽本紀 (Xiàng Yǔ biography)

Sits beside

冬至陽生春又來

dōng zhì yáng shēng chūn yòu lái

At the darkest moment of winter, yang energy is reborn and spring begins its return.

夜長夢多

yè cháng mèng duō

Delay leads to complications.

小洞不補，大洞受苦

xiǎo dòng bù bǔ dà dòng shòu kǔ

Fix small problems before they become large ones.

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 Timing & Fortune's Turning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Tiger, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.

Questions

Is 養虎為患 a real Chinese proverb?

Yes. 養虎為患 (yǎng hǔ wéi huàn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Shi Ji 史記·項羽本紀 (Xiàng Yǔ biography). 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 養虎為患?

In Mandarin it is yǎng hǔ wéi huàn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 養虎為患 aloud in Mandarin.