虎皮 (hǔ pí) — tiger skin (the actual hide or fur pattern); (figurative) seeming bravery or bluster; a show of power borrowed from someone else

Definition

Literal: the hide or striped fur pattern of a tiger. Figuratively, used in 扯着虎皮 to mean 'borrowing someone else's power to bluff' — borrowed authority, not real strength.

noun
tiger skin (the actual hide or fur pattern)(figurative) seeming bravery or blustera show of power borrowed from someone else
Measure word · 张

Examples

  • 虎皮。
    Qiáng shàng guà zhe yì zhāng hǔ pí.
    A tiger skin is hanging on the wall.
  • 虎皮。
    Tā bú guò shì chě zhe hǔ pí xià hu rén bà liǎo.
    He's just using a tiger skin to scare people — all bluff.
  • 虎皮。
    Zhè jiàn dà yī shì hǔ pí huā wén de.
    This coat has a tiger-skin pattern.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

虎hǔtiger
皮pískin

“虎” identifies the animal and “皮” names the covering, giving tiger skin.

Characters in this word

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 →

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

皮 shows a hand pulling fur off an animal pelt, with the pelt drawn at the upper left.

Open 皮 →

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