ke4 fu2 naan4 haa6騎虎難下骑虎难下
Definition
To be stuck in a difficult situation where it is impossible to stop halfway; like riding a tiger and unable to get off.
How it's used
This idiom describes a situation where someone has committed to a course of action that has become too dangerous or difficult to abandon, even if they want to stop. It carries a sense of helplessness and forced continuation, often used when a project or conflict has spiraled out of control. It is a formal idiom that is frequently used in both professional settings and casual conversation to describe being trapped by one's own previous decisions.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use this to describe any difficult task, but it specifically implies that the difficulty arises because you have already started and cannot easily reverse your decision.
Grammar color guide
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
