Chinese Idiom: 与虎谋皮 (Yu Hu Mou Pi)
English Translation: To seek a tiger’s skin
pīn yīn: yǔ hǔ móu pí
Idiom Meaning: This idiom is used to describe a situation where one attempts to negotiate with someone whose interests are in direct conflict with the request being made. It is often used to illustrate the futility of asking someone to sacrifice their own benefits for the sake of others, especially if the person is known to be selfish or malevolent.
Historical Source: Compiled in the early Song Dynasty by Li Fang and others in “Taiping Yulan” (太平御览), Volume 208, referencing “Fuzi” (符子).
Idiom Story
In ancient times, there was a man in the region of Eastern Zhou who was fond of fine fur clothing and exotic delicacies. On one occasion, he desired to use some delicious mutton as an offering. He went up to a hillside and tried to persuade a plump sheep to sacrifice its meat for the ritual. Before he could finish speaking, the frightened sheep bleated loudly and ran into the dense forest to hide. The man had to return home empty-handed.
Later, the man wanted to make a luxurious fur coat worth a thousand pieces of gold and decided to ask a fox to provide its skin. He ventured into the deep mountains and found a fox, proposing that it give up its fur. As soon as he uttered his request, the fox was so terrified that it fled without a trace. The man sighed deeply and returned home in disappointment once again.
This story illustrates the absurdity of asking someone to give up something crucial to their survival or interests. Over time, “与狐谋皮” (yǔ hú móu pí, to seek a fox’s skin) evolved into “与虎谋皮” (yǔ hǔ móu pí, to seek a tiger’s skin), which carries a similar meaning but with an added emphasis on the danger and impossibility of the request. The idiom serves as a metaphor for situations where there is a fundamental conflict of interest, making success unattainable.
