前怕狼後怕虎

See also: 前怕狼后怕虎

Chinese

		front, forepart; in front; past front, forepart; in front; past; former; previous; last; before; preceding; earlier; ago; future; time ahead; first; top; battlefront; to move forward	to be afraid; to fear	wolf	back; behind; rear back; behind; rear; afterwards; after; later	to be afraid; to fear	tiger
trad. (前怕狼後怕虎)		前	怕	狼	後	怕	虎
simp. (前怕狼后怕虎)		前	怕	狼	后	怕	虎
Literally: “fear wolves in front and tigers behind”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): qián pà láng hòu pà hǔ

  (Zhuyin): ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄆㄚˋ ㄌㄤˊ ㄏㄡˋ ㄆㄚˋ ㄏㄨˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): cin¹ paa³ long⁴ hau⁶ paa³ fu²

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: qián pà láng hòu pà hǔ
    • Zhuyin: ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄆㄚˋ ㄌㄤˊ ㄏㄡˋ ㄆㄚˋ ㄏㄨˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: cián pà láng hòu pà hǔ
    • Wade–Giles: chʻien² pʻa⁴ lang² hou⁴ pʻa⁴ hu³
    • Yale: chyán pà láng hòu pà hǔ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chyan pah lang how pah huu
    • Palladius: цянь па лан хоу па ху (cjanʹ pa lan xou pa xu)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵ pʰä⁵¹ lɑŋ³⁵ xoʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ pʰä⁵¹ xu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: cin¹ paa³ long⁴ hau⁶ paa³ fu²
    • Yale: chīn pa lòhng hauh pa fú
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsin¹ paa³ long⁴ hau⁶ paa³ fu²
    • Guangdong Romanization: qin¹ pa³ long⁴ heo⁶ pa³ fu²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ pʰaː³³ lɔːŋ²¹ hɐu̯²² pʰaː³³ fuː³⁵/

Idiom

前怕狼後怕虎

1. to be overly cautious and indecisive; to be plagued by fears

   上了年紀的人都是前怕狼後怕虎，事事有顧慮。 [MSC, trad.]
   上了年纪的人都是前怕狼后怕虎，事事有顾虑。 [MSC, simp.]

   Shàng le niánjì de rén dōu shì qián pà láng hòu pà hǔ, shìshì yǒu gùlǜ. [Pinyin]

   The elderly are always overly cautious and worry about every little thing.

   做生意不能前怕狼後怕虎，否則將一事無成。 [MSC, trad.]
   做生意不能前怕狼后怕虎，否则将一事无成。 [MSC, simp.]

   Zuò shēngyi bùnéng qián pà láng hòu pà hǔ, fǒuzé jiāng yīshìwúchéng. [Pinyin]

   You'll get nowhere in business if you're afraid of taking action.