Chinese idioms about approaching danger
Warnings about the need to prepare for impending danger, and how to cope when a threat is at hand.
Our proverbs come with full information. The modern Chinese characters are given first with links that give information on the character. As proverbs are so old you will often see them written using the traditional form of characters; so if some of the characters have been simplified the traditional form is shown in brackets and gray text. The characters are followed by the proverb (normally a 成语 chéng yǔ) in pinyin. Next, there is a crude character by character transliteration into English, followed by a more accurate English translation. If this is a Chinese proverb alluding to history the meaning may still not be clear in English, so the general meaning follows. Finally some proverbs have fairly direct English equivalents, if so the English proverb is shown.
For background on the types and history of proverbs please see our guide.
初生之犊不怕虎 [初生之犢不怕虎]
A baby calf does not fear a tiger
Innocence about the dangers involved.
刀山火海
A mountain of knives; a sea of fires
An extremely difficult and dangerous situation.
赴汤蹈火 [赴湯蹈火]
Wade through scolding water and burning flame
Showing great courage and valour.
狗急跳墙 [狗急跳墻]
A cornered dog will leap over a wall
Extreme circumstances require extreme measures.
Roughly equivalent to: The end justifies the means.
虎口拔牙
To extract a tooth from a tiger's mouth
To be very daring and/or to take unnecessary risks.
鸡犬不宁 [雞犬不宁]
Even the chicken and dog are disturbed. General commotion
All in turmoil and excitement.
骑虎难下 [騎虎難下]
When on a tiger's back, it is hard to dismount
When taking risks you have to live with the consequences, it is difficult to back out.
Roughly equivalent to: He who sups with the Devil should have a long spoon.
强龙难压地头蛇 [強龍難壓地頭蛇]
Even a dragon finds it difficult to conquer a snake in its lair
Knowledge of local area and people gives them a distinct advantage even against a strong enemy.
热锅上的蚂蚁 [熱鍋上的螞蟻]
As active as ants on a hot pan
In a state of feverish activity and excitement.
三十六计,走为上策 [三十六計走為上策]
Of the thirty-six stratagems, running away is the best.
Sometimes it is best to avoid conflict altogether. Flight can be the best option. 'The Thirty-Six Stratagems' was written by the great military thinker Sun Zi ➚
Roughly equivalent to: Devil take the hindmost.
以卵击石 [以卵擊石]
Try to smash a stone with an egg
Overrating strength and being defeated. Defeat guaranteed.
Roughly equivalent to: Kicking a brick wall.
因噎废食 [因噎廢食]
If is foolish to refuse to eat just because of the chance of choking
Life does not come without risks. Risk of failure is not an argument for not trying.
芒刺在背
A thorn in one's flesh
Someone or something is causing continuous irritation.
请君入瓮 [請君入甕]
Please step into the vat
To fall victim to a punishment that you yourself devised. The story is from the reign of Empress Wu Zetian when two cruel ministers vied to create the vilest tortures. Zhou Ying suggested a large vat should be heated and the victim placed in it. His fellow minister threatened Zhou Ying with his own torture. Zhou then rapidly confessed to all his crimes!
Roughly equivalent to: To give someone a taste of their own medicine.
与狐谋皮 [與狐謀皮]
Asking a fox for its skin
Make an unrealistic request of someone who is bound to refuse. A pointless request requiring someone to act against their normal character.
Roughly equivalent to: The leopard does not change his spots.
东窗事发 [東窗事發]
The plot at the east window has been exposed
The game is up. Generally said of villains whose evil plans have been thwarted. The story is of Qin Hui of the Song dynasty who hatched a plot under the east window of his house to tell lies about General Yue Fei. Qin Hui and his son died shortly after Yue Fei was executed. Qin's wife Wang used a necromancer who discovered the truth and was told by Qin's spirit that the East window plot had been exposed.
Roughly equivalent to: The chickens have come home to roost.
苛政猛于虎 [苛政猛於虎]
Tyranny is more terrible than tigers
The story is that Confucius met a woman near mount Taishan who was weeping bitterly. When asked, she said she had lost father-in-law, husband and son to marauding tigers. When Confucius asked why then she did not move to a safer village she replied that she was sheltering from a despotic government and would rather risk tigers than oppression. Evil government is the worst of evils.
口寄腹剑 [口寄腹劍]
Honeyed mouth but harboring dagger
Machiavellian. Using kind words to conceal malice.
Roughly equivalent to: Smile of the crocodile.
养虎遗患 [養虎遺患]
Helping a tiger invites misfortune
Being too softhearted with an enemy who is bound at some time later to bite the hand that fed it.
Roughly equivalent to: Rearing a nest of vipers.
瓜田李下
In a melon field and under a plum tree
Avoid circumstances that give rise to false suspicion, If someone is seen near ripe melons or under a plum tree they are open to suspicion of theft. A longer form of the saying makes it clear that you should not tie up your shoes in a melon field or out on a hat under a plum tree as these actions are suspicious.
釜底游鱼 [釜底游魚]
A fish at the bottom of the pot
In desperate straits. Life threatening situation - the last fish swimming at the bottom of a barrel.
Roughly equivalent to: Stare into the abyss.
重蹈覆辙 [重蹈覆轍]
Following the track of an overturned cart
To repeat a disastrous strategy. Not learning from previous mistakes - slavishly following previous practice. The story is of a virtuous official who risked Han emperor Huan's displeasure by pointing out that he was repeating the mistakes of the second Qin emperor.
Roughly equivalent to: Once bitten, twice shy.
焦头烂额 [焦頭爛頟]
Head bruised and brow burned
In terrible trouble.
Roughly equivalent to: Beaten black and blue.
悬崖勒马 [懸崖勒馬]
Rein in the horse at the cliff edge
Realize danger at the last moment.
鬼由心生
Ghosts are figments of the mind
Being scared of the paranormal; irrational fear of dark and shadows.
Roughly equivalent to: Frightened of your own shadow.
草木皆兵
Every bush harbors an enemy
Being paranoid - believing everyone is out to get you. To be beleaguered.
噤若寒蝉 [噤若寒蟬]
As silent as a cicada in winter
Cicadas do not 'sing' in cold weather. To keep silent for fear of attracting unwanted attention or incriminating yourself.
Roughly equivalent to: Keeping mum.
疾风知劲草 [疾風知勁草]
A storm tests the strength of a blade of grass
Being put to the test in harsh circumstances. To show resolution under extreme stress. Remaining loyal to a cause when the going gets tough.
Roughly equivalent to: If you cant stand the heat get out of the kitchen.
强弩之末 [強弩之末]
An arrow at the end of its flight
A spent force. An person or impulse that has now lost all its initial energy just as a bolt from a cross-bow gradually loses its power with distance.
Roughly equivalent to: Burned out.
曲突徙薪
Bend the chimney and move the firewood
A warning to avoid danger. The story of a man who was advised that his chimney was too straight and the stack of firewood too close to the fire as these could easily cause a fire to take hold. The advice was ignored and sure enough a serious fire damaged the house,
Roughly equivalent to: Shot across the bows.
杞人忧天 [杞人憂天]
The man from Qi who fears the sky is falling
Unnecessary concern. A person who is over-fearful or credulous. The idiom is based on the story of man from the state of Qi who feared the sky would fall and also that the Earth might cave in.
Roughly equivalent to: Afraid of your own shadow.
出生入死
To risk one's life
Offer unquestioning support.
Roughly equivalent to: Through thick and thin.
毛骨悚然
Hair standing on end
Petrified with fright.
明枪易躲,暗箭难防 [明槍易躲暗箭難防]
It is easy to dodge a spear from in front; but hard to avoid an arrow from behind
It is difficult to guard against furtive attacks.
前怕狼后怕虎
To fear wolves ahead and tigers behind
To be obsessed by fears of attack from all sides.
众怒难犯 [眾怒難犯]
Avoid incurring the wrath of the crowd
It's a bad idea to stir up the anger of a large crowd.
言过其实 [言過其實]
To embellish the facts
Overstate the facts or exaggerate skills. Someone who is a bit of a windbag.
不寒而栗 [不寒而慄]
Shivering yet not cold
Shudder with fear and dread. There is a story of a sadistic official of the Han dynasty who arbitrarily sentenced people to death. When their relatives and friends came to protest he had them executed too. Everyone was quaking with fear when they saw the official.
Roughly equivalent to: Shake like a leaf.
一败涂地 [一敗塗地]
A crushing defeat
Defeat so total bodies will litter the ground. Beaten and in a hopeless situation. Suggest the enemy is in such a rage that no mercy will be shown.
Image by Jakub Halun ➚ available under a Creative Commons license ➚
呆若木鸡 [呆若木雞]
As dumb as a wooden chicken
Dumbstruck, unable to move or say anything out of fear.
Roughly equivalent to: Caught like a rabbit in the headlights.
苟延残喘 [苟延殘喘]
Lingering at last gasp
In the throes of dying. Making a final desperate action prior to dying.
Roughly equivalent to: At death's door.
庆父不死,鲁难未已 [慶父不死,魯難未已]
The troubles of the state of Lu will continue until Qing Fu is removed
Take action to remove someone/something obstructing progress, In the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history Qing Fu rose to power in the state of Lu and ruled as a complete despot killing any opponents. Peace did not come until he had been removed from power.
Roughly equivalent to: Grasp the nettle.
虎口余生 [虎口餘生]
Saved from the tiger's den
A narrow escape from a dangerous situation.
马革裹尸 [馬革裹屍]
Wrapping the body in horsehide
A wish to die in action on the battlefield. A heroic wish to serve until death.
Roughly equivalent to: With all guns blazing.
围魏救赵 [圍魏救趙]
Besiege Wei to rescue Zhao
To aid a friend by attacking a mutual enemy. During the Warring States period the state of Wei was attacking the state of Zhao. Handan, the capital of Zhao was besieged. The state of Qi wished to help its ally Zhao, rather than intervene to try to lift the siege of Handan, the Qi general launched an attack on the Wei's capital Daliang, forcing the Wei troops to lift the siege.
惊弓之鸟 [驚弓之鳥]
A bird startled even by the twang of a bow string
Someone who is easily frightened especially if triggered by a previous bad experience. The story is of a great archer who claimed he could shoot a goose out of the sky without releasing an arrow. He then twanged the bow and a goose did fall to the ground. The goose showed signs of a previous arrow injury and had died of fright.
开门揖盗 [開門揖盜]
Opening the door and welcoming in the thief
To welcome a thief or bandit into your home. Bringing disaster upon yourself by your own foolish actions.
所向无前 [所向無前]
No obstacle in any direction
To be able to conquer anyone on all fronts. Invincible against all opponents. An irresistible force.
丧家之狗 [喪家之狗]
Fleeing from a wild dog
Fleeing in fear and panic due to appearance of an unexpected visitor.
后顾之忧
Looking after troubles behind you
Worried about events back at home. Said of someone concerned about goings on at home rather than things immediately to hand.