How to Write 虎 (hǔ) — Meaning “Tiger”

Imagine a tiger sitting on its hind legs: the top radical (虍) looks like the tiger's open mouth and stripes on its forehead, while the bottom part (几) resembles its body and curled tail. You can think of the seven strokes forming the tiger's face and the one horizontal stroke as its long tail.

Start with the top radical 虍: write the vertical stroke, then the horizontal and hook, followed by the left-falling stroke and dot. The bottom part 几 is written with a left-falling stroke and a horizontal hook. A common mistake is making the bottom too wide or forgetting the hook in the last stroke, which should curve upward like a tiger's tail.

老 虎 (lǎo hǔ) means tiger and is the most common word. 马马虎虎 (mǎ mǎ hǔ hǔ) literally means "horse horse tiger tiger" and is used to describe something as so-so, mediocre, or careless, like saying "just okay" in English. 东北虎 (dōng běi hǔ) refers to the Siberian tiger and is often used in wildlife contexts.

虎 appears in names of animals, zodiac signs (Year of the Tiger), and idioms like 虎视眈眈 (hǔ shì dān dān, to glare like a tiger). In Chinese culture, the tiger symbolizes bravery and power, and it is often used in art and decorations to ward off evil spirits, especially during the Lunar New Year.

Common words containing 虎 include: 老虎 (lǎo hǔ) — Tiger; 东北虎 (dōng běi hǔ) — Siberian tiger; 马马虎虎 (mǎ mǎ hǔ hǔ) — So-so; careless.