The clever fox quickly said: "You cannot eat me! The Heavenly Emperor has made me the leader of all animals. If you eat me, you will be defying the Heavenly Emperor's command."

The tiger was skeptical, so the fox proposed: "If you don't believe me, let me walk in front and you follow behind. You will see that all animals will flee when they see me."

The tiger agreed and followed the fox. As they walked through the forest, all the animals they encountered immediately ran away in fear.

The tiger didn't realize that the animals were actually fleeing from the powerful tiger itself. It mistakenly thought they were fleeing from the fox.

The fox had successfully used the tiger's power and authority to intimidate others, while the tiger remained unaware of the deception.

Original Classical Chinese

虎求百兽而食之，得狐。狐曰："子无敢食我也！天帝使我长百兽，今子食我，是逆天帝命也。子以我为不信，吾为子先行，子随我后，观百兽之见我而敢不走乎？"虎以为然，故遂与之行。兽见之皆走。虎不知兽畏己而走也，以为畏狐也。

How to Use 狐假虎威

This idiom is used to describe someone who uses another person's power, authority, or influence to bully or intimidate others.

It criticizes people who rely on powerful connections rather than their own abilities.

The idiom emphasizes that true respect comes from one's own merit, not from borrowed authority.

When to use:

Use when someone bullies others by relying on a powerful connection
Often used to criticize people who lack real ability but use others' authority
Can be used as a warning against relying on borrowed power

Common Mistake

Don't use this idiom for legitimate use of authority or delegation. It specifically refers to abusing borrowed power to intimidate or bully others.

Example Sentences

他仗着老板的权势，狐假虎威地欺负同事。

Tā zhàngzhe lǎobǎn de quánshì, hú jiǎ hǔ wēi de qīfù tóngshì.

Relying on the boss's power, he bullies his colleagues like a fox borrowing a tiger's might.

不要狐假虎威，要靠自己的真本事。

Bùyào hú jiǎ hǔ wēi, yào kào zìjǐ de zhēn běnshì.

Don't rely on others' power. You should depend on your own real abilities.

他不过是狐假虎威，其实自己没什么本事。

Tā bùguò shì hú jiǎ hǔ wēi, qíshí zìjǐ méi shénme běnshì.

He's just using someone else's power; he actually has no real ability himself.

Practice Writing

Generate a free printable worksheet with all 4 characters from this idiom.

Generate Worksheet (4 Characters)

Or explore each character:

狐stroke order 假stroke order 虎stroke order 威stroke order

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 狐假虎威 (hú jiǎ hǔ wēi) mean?

狐假虎威 literally means "a fox borrows a tiger's might." Figuratively, it means to use someone else's power or authority to intimidate others, or to bully others by relying on a powerful connection.

What is the story behind 狐假虎威?

The idiom comes from "Strategies of the Warring States" (战国策). A fox was caught by a tiger. The fox claimed the Heavenly Emperor made it leader of all animals. The tiger followed the fox, and all animals fled. The tiger thought they were fleeing from the fox, but they were actually fleeing from the tiger itself.

How do you use 狐假虎威 in a sentence?

Use 狐假虎威 when describing someone who bullies others using borrowed authority. For example: "他仗着老板的权势，狐假虎威地欺负同事" (Relying on the boss's power, he bullies his colleagues like a fox borrowing a tiger's might).

What is the opposite of 狐假虎威?

The opposite would be idioms like 自力更生 (zì lì gēng shēng, to rely on one's own efforts) or 真才实学 (zhēn cái shí xué, real talent and learning), which emphasize self-reliance and genuine ability rather than borrowed power.

Is 狐假虎威 difficult to learn?

狐假虎威 is considered beginner-friendly. It uses relatively common characters (狐 HSK5, 假 HSK3, 虎 HSK4, 威 HSK5), has a memorable story, and the meaning is straightforward. It's one of the most commonly taught Chinese idioms.

狐假虎威

Character-by-Character Breakdown

The Story Behind 狐假虎威

The Fox and the Tiger