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HSK 3 Chinese reading practice

与虎谋皮

yǔ hǔ móu pí

Asking a Tiger for Its Skin

A man asks foxes for their fur and sheep for their meat—then wonders why every animal runs away.

RECOMMENDEDHSK 3
READ3 min
HANZI173
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文化
CULTURE

Why does the original story use foxes, not a tiger?

The early fable from Fuzi, preserved in the Taiping Yulan, is known as 与狐谋皮: a man asks foxes for their fur and sheep for their meat. The better-known form 与虎谋皮 developed later. Today it describes asking someone to give up something essential to their own interests, making agreement impossible.

Key vocabulary4 words from this story
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阅读理解 · COMPREHENSION

Check your understanding

Answer three questions without looking at the English translation.

01那个人向狐狸要什么？
02后来，他为什么向羊要肉？
03狐狸和羊听完他的话以后都做了什么？
0 / 3questions answered
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Chinese idiom guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about 与虎谋皮

What does 与虎谋皮 mean in English?

与虎谋皮 (yǔ hǔ móu pí) literally means “ask a tiger to give up its skin.” It describes trying to persuade someone to surrender an essential interest that they will never willingly give up.

When is 与虎谋皮 used?

Use 与虎谋皮 for a negotiation that is impossible because the other side would have to sacrifice what matters most to it. For example: Asking the dishonest official to provide evidence against himself was 与虎谋皮.

What is the pinyin for 与虎谋皮?

The pinyin pronunciation for 与虎谋皮 is “yǔ hǔ móu pí.”