虎豹 (hǔ bào) — tigers and leopards; ferocious beasts

Definition

Literary term referring collectively to tigers and leopards, used to evoke fierce beasts or, by metaphor, bold/powerful people. Mostly found in classical or formal writing, not everyday speech.

noun
tigers and leopardsferocious beasts
Measure word · 只

Examples

  • 虎豹。
    Gǔ dài sēn lín lǐ cháng yǒu hǔ bào chū mò.
    Tigers and leopards often appeared in ancient forests.
  • 虎豹。
    Tā xiàng hǔ bào yí yàng yǒng měng.
    He is as brave as a tiger or leopard.
  • 虎豹，。
    hǔ bào Zhī wēi, lìng rén wèi jù.
    The might of tigers and leopards inspires fear.

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.

虎hǔtiger
豹bàoleopard

虎 and 豹 are parallel fierce animals, so together they mean tigers and leopards.

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 →

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
豸豸zhìbeast; creature
Sound part声符shēngfú
勺
勺sháo豹bào
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

豹 pairs 豸, a mark for a beast or creature, with 勺, which gives the sound.

Open 豹 →

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