Definition
This is a four-character idiom (成语) that literally means 'riding a tiger and finding it hard to dismount.' The image is of someone who has climbed onto a tiger's back and now cannot safely get off — they must keep riding, even though it's dangerous. The idiom describes a situation where you are already committed to a difficult course of action and cannot back out, even if you want to. It's used in business, politics, and personal decisions where stopping would be as bad as or worse than continuing.
idiom
to be in a dilemma with no easy way outriding a tiger — committed to a difficult course and unable to stop
Examples
- ，骑虎难下。Zhège xiàngmù yǐjīng tóurù le dàliàng zījīn, xiànzài zhēn shì qí hǔ nán xià.This project has already invested a huge amount of money; now we're really in a dilemma with no way to back down.
- ，骑虎难下，。Tā dāngchū bù gāi dāyìng zhège tiáojiàn, rújīn qí hǔ nán xià, zhǐ néng yìngzhe tóupí zuò xiàqù.He shouldn't have agreed to these terms in the first place; now he's riding a tiger and has to tough it out.
- 骑虎难下，，。Gōngsī xiànrù qí hǔ nán xià de júmiàn, jìxù kuòzhāng yǒu fēngxiǎn, dàn tíngzhǐ kuīsǔn gèng dà.The company is in a riding-a-tiger situation: expanding carries risks, but stopping would mean even greater losses.
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