CHENGYU
卧虎藏龙(wò hǔ cáng lóng)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- literary, approving
- Source:
- 北周·庾信《同会河阳公新造山池聊得寓目》
MEANING
- Literal
- a crouching tiger and a hidden dragon
- Figurative meaning
- hidden talent; people of great ability yet undiscovered
ORIGIN STORY
A poem by Yu Xin of the Northern Zhou describes a landscape where "hidden rocks seem to conceal tigers, and gnarled roots look like sleeping dragons" — a place full of unseen power.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“a nest of hidden talent”
EXAMPLES
这家小公司卧虎藏龙，个个都是高手。Zhè jiā xiǎo gōngsī wò hǔ cáng lóng, gège dōu shì gāoshǒu.HSK6
This small company is full of hidden tigers and dragons — every one a master.
别看村子小，这里卧虎藏龙。Bié kàn cūnzi xiǎo, zhèlǐ wò hǔ cáng lóng.HSK6
The village may be small, but tigers lie crouching and dragons hide here.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: It praises undiscovered talent in a place or group, not literal danger.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
Tap a character to explore it
TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01