Definitions
Etymology
Pictograph of a tiger.
About
The character 虎 originated as a pictorial representation of a tiger, which gradually stylized into its conventional form through a process of graphical abstraction and standardization. Etymologically, it functions as a pictograph whose structure is now commonly analyzed as incorporating the component 虍, representing the tiger's head and stripe pattern, while the remainder of the character suggests the body. Its core meaning has steadfastly denoted the animal itself, yet over extended use it accrued additional layers of meaning, coming to signify metaphorical qualities like courage, fierceness, and authority within various literary and idiomatic contexts without departing from its original zoological reference.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
老虎是动物。
老虎住在森林里。
我的虎牙很尖。
明年是虎年。
老虎捕食其他动物。
他跑得像老虎一样快。
如果看到老虎,你应该保持安静。
老虎的条纹有助于它们在草丛中隐藏。