Differences
This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.
骑虎难下 [2025/08/13 19:52] – created xiaoer | 骑虎难下 [Unknown date] (current) – removed - external edit (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1 | ||
---|---|---|---|
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
- | ====== qí hǔ nán xià: 骑虎难下 - To Ride a Tiger and Find it Hard to Get Off ====== | + | |
- | ===== Quick Summary ===== | + | |
- | * **Keywords: | + | |
- | * **Summary: | + | |
- | ===== Core Meaning ===== | + | |
- | * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** qí hǔ nán xià | + | |
- | * **Part of Speech:** Chengyu (四字成语, | + | |
- | * **HSK Level:** N/A (Commonly used and recognized around HSK 5-6 proficiency) | + | |
- | * **Concise Definition: | + | |
- | * **In a Nutshell:** Imagine you've impulsively jumped on a tiger' | + | |
- | ===== Character Breakdown ===== | + | |
- | * **骑 (qí):** To ride or sit astride (an animal like a horse, or a vehicle like a bicycle). | + | |
- | * **虎 (hǔ):** Tiger. In Chinese culture, the tiger is a symbol of immense power, ferocity, and danger. | + | |
- | * **难 (nán):** Difficult, hard, problematic. | + | |
- | * **下 (xià):** To get off, to descend, to go down. | + | |
- | The characters combine to form a literal, powerful image: " | + | |
- | ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== | + | |
- | The idiom `骑虎难下` originates from a story in the *Book of Jin* (《晋书·庾翼传》), | + | |
- | * **Comparison to Western Concepts:** This idiom is very similar to the English phrase " | + | |
- | * **Related Values:** This idiom taps into important Chinese cultural values like **face (面子, miànzi)** and responsibility. To start a major undertaking (a new business, a political reform, a public commitment) and then back out would cause a massive loss of face. Therefore, a person might find themselves in a `骑虎难下` position, forced to continue a failing or dangerous endeavor simply to avoid the shame of quitting. It highlights the serious consequences of one's commitments. | + | |
- | ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== | + | |
- | `骑虎难下` is a versatile idiom used in a wide range of modern contexts, from business to personal life. It's understood by everyone and can be used in both formal and informal settings. | + | |
- | * **In Business and Politics:** This is a classic scenario for the idiom. A company launches a high-profile project that starts to fail. They' | + | |
- | * **In Personal Life:** Someone might make a grand promise to family or friends that they find they can't keep. For example, announcing an engagement you now regret, or promising to pay for a sibling' | + | |
- | * **Connotation: | + | |
- | ===== Example Sentences ===== | + | |
- | * **Example 1:** | + | |
- | * 他一开始夸下海口说能完成这个项目,现在发现困难重重,真是**骑虎难下**。 | + | |
- | * Pinyin: Tā yī kāishǐ kuāxiàhǎikǒu shuō néng wánchéng zhège xiàngmù, xiànzài fāxiàn kùnnán chóngchóng, | + | |
- | * English: At first, he boasted that he could complete this project, but now he's discovered countless difficulties and is truly in a situation where he can't back down. | + | |
- | * Analysis: This example highlights a common cause of `骑虎难下`: | + | |
- | * **Example 2:** | + | |
- | * 投资了这么多钱以后,我们的公司现在是**骑虎难下**,只能继续下去。 | + | |
- | * Pinyin: Tóuzīle zhème duō qián yǐhòu, wǒmen de gōngsī xiànzài shì **qí hǔ nán xià**, zhǐ néng jìxù xiàqù. | + | |
- | * English: After investing so much money, our company is now in a sticky situation and can only continue moving forward. | + | |
- | * Analysis: A classic business scenario. The commitment is financial, and the cost of retreating is too high. | + | |
- | * **Example 3:** | + | |
- | * 总统发起了这场贸易战,但现在经济受到了影响,他已经**骑虎难下**。 | + | |
- | * Pinyin: Zǒngtǒng fāqǐle zhè chǎng màoyì zhàn, dàn xiànzài jīngjì shòudàole yǐngxiǎng, | + | |
- | * English: The president started this trade war, but now that the economy has been affected, he's in a position where he can't easily back down. | + | |
- | * Analysis: This shows the idiom used in a high-stakes political context. The " | + | |
- | * **Example 4:** | + | |
- | * 我答应了帮他的忙,可没想到他的问题这么复杂,我现在有点**骑虎难下**了。 | + | |
- | * Pinyin: Wǒ dāyìngle bāng tā de máng, kě méi xiǎngdào tā de wèntí zhème fùzá, wǒ xiànzài yǒudiǎn **qí hǔ nán xià** le. | + | |
- | * English: I agreed to help him, but I didn't expect his problems to be this complicated. Now I'm in a bit of a predicament. | + | |
- | * Analysis: A more personal, everyday example. The commitment was a promise to help, and backing out now would be awkward or rude. | + | |
- | * **Example 5:** | + | |
- | * 为了面子,他接受了那个他根本无法胜任的职位,现在他感到**骑虎难下**。 | + | |
- | * Pinyin: Wèile miànzi, tā jiēshòule nàge tā gēnběn wúfǎ shèngrèn de zhíwèi, xiànzài tā gǎndào **qí hǔ nán xià**. | + | |
- | * English: To save face, he accepted a position he was completely unqualified for, and now he feels trapped. | + | |
- | * Analysis: This directly links `骑虎难下` with the cultural concept of `面子 (miànzi)`. | + | |
- | * **Example 6:** | + | |
- | * 当谎言越说越大的时候,你就进入了**骑虎难下**的境地。 | + | |
- | * Pinyin: Dāng huǎngyán yuè shuō yuè dà de shíhòu, nǐ jiù jìnrùle **qí hǔ nán xià** de jìngdì. | + | |
- | * English: When a lie gets bigger and bigger, you enter a situation where it's hard to extricate yourself. | + | |
- | * Analysis: A great metaphorical use. The " | + | |
- | * **Example 7:** | + | |
- | * 部队已经深入敌后,补给线被切断,将军陷入了**骑虎难下**的困境。 | + | |
- | * Pinyin: Bùduì yǐjīng shēnrù díhòu, bǔjǐ xiàn bèi qiēduàn, jiāngjūn xiànrùle **qí hǔ nán xià** de kùnjìng. | + | |
- | * English: The troops have gone deep behind enemy lines and their supply line has been cut; the general has fallen into a perilous dilemma. | + | |
- | * Analysis: A literal military context, echoing the idiom' | + | |
- | * **Example 8:** | + | |
- | * 已经公开宣布订婚了,现在才发现两个人性格不合,真是**骑虎难下**。 | + | |
- | * Pinyin: Yǐjīng gōngkāi xuānbù dìnghūnle, | + | |
- | * English: Having already publicly announced the engagement, they' | + | |
- | * Analysis: This demonstrates how social commitments can create a `骑虎难下` scenario. | + | |
- | * **Example 9:** | + | |
- | * 这项改革一旦开始,就**骑虎难下**,必须坚持到底。 | + | |
- | * Pinyin: Zhè xiàng gǎigé yīdàn kāishǐ, jiù **qí hǔ nán xià**, bìxū jiānchí dào dǐ. | + | |
- | * English: Once this reform begins, there' | + | |
- | * Analysis: Here, the phrase is used to emphasize the gravity and commitment required *before* starting something. | + | |
- | * **Example 10:** | + | |
- | * 别轻易许诺,否则你可能会让自己**骑虎难下**。 | + | |
- | * Pinyin: Bié qīngyì xǔnuò, fǒuzé nǐ kěnéng huì ràng zìjǐ **qí hǔ nán xià**. | + | |
- | * English: Don't make promises lightly, or you might put yourself in a position you can't get out of. | + | |
- | * Analysis: This sentence uses the idiom as a piece of advice, a warning against creating such a situation for oneself. | + | |
- | ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== | + | |
- | * **Not for Minor Inconveniences: | + | |
- | * **Incorrect Usage Example: | + | |
- | * `* 错误 (cuòwù): 我的车坏在路上了,真是骑虎难下。` (Wǒ de chē huài zài lùshàng le, zhēnshi qí hǔ nán xià.) | + | |
- | * `* Mistake: My car broke down on the road, I'm really in a ' | + | |
- | * **Why it's wrong:** A broken-down car is an unexpected problem (`麻烦, máfan`), but it's not a course of action you committed to. You didn't choose to "get on" the broken-down car. `骑虎难下` requires that sense of being trapped by your own past actions or decisions. | + | |
- | * **" | + | |
- | ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== | + | |
- | * `* [[进退两难]] (jìn tuì liǎng nán)` - To be in a dilemma where it's difficult to either advance or retreat. A very close synonym and a more literal description of the dilemma. | + | |
- | * `* [[左右为难]] (zuǒ yòu wéi nán)` - To be in a difficult position, caught between two conflicting options. Similar to being " | + | |
- | * `* [[欲罢不能]] (yù bà bù néng)` - To want to stop but be unable to. This often applies to addictions, habits, or compelling activities, but can overlap with the feeling of `骑虎难下`. | + | |
- | * `* [[覆水难收]] (fù shuǐ nán shōu)` - Spilt water is hard to retrieve. This idiom emphasizes that an action is irreversible, | + | |
- | * `* [[破釜沉舟]] (pò fǔ chén zhōu)` - To break the cooking pots and sink the boats. This describes *deliberately* creating a point of no return to motivate oneself or one's troops to fight to the death. It's the act of intentionally getting on the tiger' | + | |
- | * `* [[身不由己]] (shēn bù yóu jǐ)` - One's actions are not one's own to decide; to be forced by circumstances. This can be the cause of a `骑虎难下` situation. | + | |
- | * `* [[开弓没有回头箭]] (kāi gōng méi yǒu huí tóu jiàn)` - Once a bow is drawn, the arrow cannot turn back. This proverb is a perfect description of the "point of no return" | + |