CHENGYU
骑虎难下(qí hǔ nán xià)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- neutral
- Source:
- 《晋书·温峤传》
MEANING
- Literal
- hard to dismount once riding a tiger
- Figurative meaning
- to be stuck in a situation one cannot safely leave
ORIGIN STORY
The Jin official Wen Qiao declared: "Now that we are riding the beast, how can we dismount midway?" Li Bai echoed it: "Riding the tiger I dare not get down." The image of the trapped rider became the phrase.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“to be on the tiger's back”
EXAMPLES
项目做了一半，现在骑虎难下。Xiàngmù zuò le yíbàn, xiànzài qí hǔ nán xià.HSK6
The project is half done — now we are riding a tiger we cannot dismount.
他投资失误，想退出又怕亏钱，真是骑虎难下。Tā tóuzī shīwù, xiǎng tuìchū yòu pà kuī qián, zhēn shì qí hǔ nán xià.HSK6
His bad investment traps him: leaving means losing money — riding a tiger he cannot dismount.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: The trap is created by earlier choices — it is not a difficulty imposed from outside.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
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TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01