老虎
lǎohǔ/lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ xu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
The word for tiger in Chinese is 老虎 (lǎohǔ).
Meaning: The mammal Panthera tigris (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 老虎 | lǎohǔ | /lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ xu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /nau⁵³ fu⁵³/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 虎 | hó͘ | /hɔ⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Changtai, Philippines, Sinological IPA, Taipei, General Taiwanese, Yongchun, Yongchun) /heu⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Changtai, Philippines, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese, Yongchun) |
Hokkien |
The term refers to the mammal Panthera tigris.
Which one should you use?
While 老虎 is the standard colloquial noun used in everyday speech, the single character 虎 serves as a more formal or literary root for words related to tigers.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The Dungan language uses лохў or хў, and Hokkien uses 虎.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is lǎohǔ.
When do people say it?
In Chinese culture, the tiger is a symbol of power and is often used to ward off evil spirits. The single character 虎 is frequently found in classical idioms, such as 不入虎穴，焉得虎子.
Did you know?
- The 'old' in 老虎 does not mean the tiger is elderly. It is a term of respect used as a linguistic taboo to avoid offending or summoning the dangerous animal.
- Tigers are often paired with dragons in Chinese art to represent a balance of power between the earthly and the celestial.
Examples in context
- 这不是老虎。This is not a tiger.This sentence uses 虎.Tatoeba #7768251 by jiangche, translation #1739147 by CM
- 不入虎穴，焉得虎子。One may only catch the tiger cub by entering the tiger's den.Tatoeba #704463 by GlossaMatik, translation #1651925 by Spamster
- 心有猛虎，细嗅蔷薇。In me the tiger sniffs the rose.Tatoeba #8496115 by maxine, translation #8496118 by maxine
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Junjie and Yuting are visiting the zoo.
- 俊杰 Junjie你看，那只老虎在睡觉。Nǐ kàn, nà zhī lǎohǔ zài shuìjiào.Look, that tiger is sleeping.
- 雨婷 Yuting它看起来好安静啊。Tā kàn qǐlái hǎo ānjìng a.It looks so quiet.
- 俊杰 Junjie老虎虽然安静，但很危险。Lǎohǔ suīrán ānjìng, dàn hěn wēixiǎn.Tigers are quiet, but they are dangerous.
- 雨婷 Yuting没错，我们离远一点吧。Méicuò, wǒmen lí yuǎn yīdiǎn ba.Right, let's stay a bit further away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tiger” translations and entries 老虎, 虎, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 老虎, 虎, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
