強龍不壓地頭蛇

See also: 强龙不压地头蛇

Chinese

		strength; force; power strength; force; power; powerful; better	dragon; imperial; surname	not; no	to crush; to press; to push down to crush; to press; to push down; to keep under (control); in the first place	local snake; local bully; peremptory or tyrannical local
trad. (強龍不壓地頭蛇)		強	龍	不	壓	地頭蛇
simp. (强龙不压地头蛇)		强	龙	不	压	地头蛇
Literally: “A strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): qiáng lóng bù yā dìtóushé

  (Zhuyin): ㄑㄧㄤˊ ㄌㄨㄥˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄧㄚ ㄉㄧˋ ㄊㄡˊ ㄕㄜˊ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: qiáng lóng bù yā dìtóushé
    • Zhuyin: ㄑㄧㄤˊ ㄌㄨㄥˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄧㄚ ㄉㄧˋ ㄊㄡˊ ㄕㄜˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: ciáng lóng bù ya dìtóushé
    • Wade–Giles: chʻiang² lung² pu⁴ ya¹ ti⁴-tʻou²-shê²
    • Yale: chyáng lúng bù yā dì-tóu-shé
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chyang long bu ia dihtoursher
    • Palladius: цян лун бу я дитоушэ (cjan lun bu ja ditoušɛ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ³⁵ lʊŋ³⁵ pu⁵¹ jä⁵⁵ ti⁵¹ tʰoʊ̯³⁵ ʂɤ³⁵/

Proverb

強龍不壓地頭蛇

1. Even a powerful person cannot defeat a local bully.

   • 「也罷，這正是『強龍不壓地頭蛇』。」 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     「也罢，这正是『强龙不压地头蛇』。」 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Wu Cheng'en, Journey to the West, 16^th century CE

     “Yěbà, zhè zhèngshì ‘qiáng lóng bù yā dìtóushé’.” [Pinyin]

     "Well, as the saying goes, even a powerful person cannot defeat a local bully."

Synonyms

• 強龍難敵地頭蛇／强龙难敌地头蛇