如狼似虎 (rú láng sì hǔ) — ferocious, brutal, like wolves and tigers; voracious, ravenous (especially about eating)

Definition

Literally 'like wolves and tigers': describes brutal, ravenous ferocity, either violent action or extreme greed (often for food). Used as a vivid adverbial phrase with 地 before a verb.

idiom
ferociousbrutallike wolves and tigersvoraciousravenous (especially about eating)

Examples

  • 如狼似虎。
    Nà qún qiáng dào rú láng sì hǔ dì chōng jìn cūn zi.
    That gang of bandits charged into the village with bestial ferocity.
  • ，如狼似虎。
    Tā è le yì tiān, chī fàn shí rú láng sì hǔ de.
    He hadn't eaten all day and ate ravenously.
  • ，如狼似虎。
    Zhè ge jiāng jūn zhì jūn yán gé, shì bīng men rú láng sì hǔ dì xùn liàn.
    This general ran a strict army, and the soldiers trained with ferocious intensity.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

如狼like wolves
如rúlike狼lángwolf
动宾Verb + object
似虎like tigers
似sìlike虎hǔtiger
动宾Verb + object

如狼 and 似虎 put wolf and tiger side by side to show fierce or greedy behavior.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
女
女nǚ如rú
Same sound today

如 is built from 口 (mouth) for its meaning and 女 (woman) for its sound.

Open 如 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
犭Written in full as犬quǎn
Sound part声符shēngfú
良
良liáng狼láng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 犭 (full form 犬) shows a dog-like animal. The right part 良 gives the sound.

Open 狼 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénhuman
Sound part声符shēngfú
以
以yǐ似sì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

似 pairs 亻 (human) with 以, which gives the sound.

Open 似 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

虎 originally drew a tiger's head. Its body disappeared, and the legs and tail became the lower part.

Open 虎 →

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