Definition
拦路虎 literally means 'road-blocking tiger'. It is a chengyu-like idiom used metaphorically for an obstacle or hindrance that blocks progress, especially in learning, work, or projects. The image is of a fierce tiger blocking the path — a formidable challenge. In modern Chinese it is almost always used figuratively, though the literal sense 'highway robber' exists archaically.
n.
(figurative) obstaclestumbling block(literal, archaic) highway robber
Examples
- 拦路虎。Zhège shēngcí shì xuéxí Zhōngwén de yí gè dà lán lù hǔ.This new word is a big obstacle in learning Chinese.
- 拦路虎。Zài wǒmen xiàngmù de tuījìn guòchéng zhōng yùdào le hěnduō lán lù hǔ.We encountered many obstacles during the progress of our project.
- 拦路虎，。Zhǐyào bú pà lán lù hǔ, jiù yídìng néng chénggōng.As long as you are not afraid of obstacles, you will surely succeed.
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