每天成语
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狗急跳墙

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: gǒu jí tiào qiáng
  • English Translation: A cornered dog will jump over a wall (resorting to desperate measures)
  • Idiom Composition: 「狗」（Dog (used here as a metaphor for a lowly person or a villain)）＋「急」（Desperate, anxious, or cornered）＋「跳」（To jump or leap）＋「墙」（Wall (representing a barrier or a dead end)）
  • Meaning: A derogatory expression describing a villain or enemy who, when driven into a corner with no way out, resorts to reckless, extreme, or dangerous actions in a final act of desperation.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「狗急跳墙」 contains the following nuances:

  • Derogatory Nature: While the English phrase 'a cornered rat will bite' can sometimes imply a level of sympathy for the underdog, 狗急跳墙 (gǒu jí tiào qiáng) is strictly derogatory. It frames the person's actions as the cowardly or irrational behavior of a 'dog' (villain) rather than a brave stand.
  • Unpredictable Danger: The idiom emphasizes that when someone is truly cornered, they may display 'superhuman' or unexpected capabilities (like a dog jumping a high wall) to cause harm or escape, making them highly unpredictable.

3. Usage

「狗急跳墙」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Hostile Situations & Warnings: Used to warn others not to push an opponent too far, as they might lash out dangerously.
    • Example:「别把他逼得太紧，小心他狗急跳墙，做出极端的事情来。」
      （Don't push him too hard; be careful he doesn't resort to desperate measures and do something extreme.)
  • Criminal Behavior: Describing the final, often violent, struggle of a criminal before being caught.
    • Example:「那名罪犯在被包围后狗急跳墙，竟然挟持了人质。」
      （After being surrounded, the criminal acted out of desperation and actually took a hostage.)
  • Arguments or Competition: Criticizing someone who loses their composure and resorts to foul play when they are losing.
    • Example:「他在辩论中理屈词穷，最后竟然狗急跳墙，开始人身攻击。」
      （He ran out of arguments during the debate and finally, in a fit of desperate rage, began making personal attacks.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 我们要防备敌人狗急跳墙，做好应对突发状况的准备。
    （We must be on guard against the enemy making a desperate last-ditch effort and be prepared for any emergencies.）
  2. 这家公司面临破产，老板狗急跳墙，卷款潜逃了。
    （Facing bankruptcy, the owner resorted to desperate measures and fled with the company's funds.）
  3. 虽然他现在处于劣势，但难保不会狗急跳墙，我们不能掉以轻心。
    （Although he is currently at a disadvantage, there is no guarantee he won't act out of desperation, so we cannot let our guard down.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Origin: This idiom is derived from the Dunhuang Transformation Texts (敦煌变文集), which contained the phrase 'people in a hurry burn incense, and dogs in a hurry leap over walls.' While it originally meant that people do unusual things under pressure, it evolved into a specific description of a villain's desperate struggle.
  • Animal Imagery: In Chinese culture, idioms involving 'dogs' (狗 - gǒu) are frequently negative. Examples include 狗腿子 (gǒu tuǐ zi), meaning a 'henchman,' and 狐朋狗友 (hú péng gǒu yǒu), meaning 'bad company.' This idiom uses the dog to signify someone contemptible.
  • Nuance Comparison: Unlike the English concept of 'fighting with one's back to the wall,' which can be heroic, 狗急跳墙 (gǒu jí tiào qiáng) always implies that the person is acting out of a lack of options and character, rather than noble defiance.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

The idiom 狗急跳墙 (gǒu jí tiào qiáng) literally depicts a dog that, when pushed to its limit, manages to leap over a high wall it normally couldn't clear. In a figurative sense, it is used to criticize bad actors or opponents who, facing certain defeat, engage in irrational or violent 'last-ditch' efforts. It serves as a warning that a cornered enemy can be particularly dangerous because they have nothing left to lose.

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Pre-Level 1

Idiom Essay

gǒu jí tiào qiáng
狗急跳墙
A Cornered Dog Will Jump Over the Wall
lǎo wáng老王zài在xiǎo qū小区mén kǒu门口kāi开le了yī jiā一家biàn lì diàn便利店。

Old Wang opened a convenience store at the entrance to a residential community.

qù nián去年dōng tiān冬天de的yí gè一个wǎn shàng晚上，yí gè一个nián qīng rén年轻人ná拿le了liǎng píng两瓶jiǔ酒，méi没fù qián付钱jiù就wǎng往wài外pǎo跑。

One evening last winter, a young man took two bottles of liquor and ran outside without paying.

lǎo wáng老王fǎn yìng反应hěn很kuài快，mǎ shàng马上zhuī追le了chū qù出去。

Old Wang reacted quickly and immediately chased after him.

nián qīng rén年轻人huāng huāng zhāng zhāng慌慌张张dì地pǎo跑jìn进le了yī tiáo一条xiǎo小xiàng zi巷子。

The young man ran into a narrow alley in a panic.

xiàng zi巷子de的jìn tóu尽头shì是yī dǔ一堵qiáng墙，méi没lù路le了。

At the end of the alley was a wall. There was nowhere else to go.

lǎo wáng老王xīn lǐ心里yī xǐ一喜：zhè xià这下pǎo bù diào跑不掉le了。

Old Wang was secretly delighted: “He can’t get away now.”

kě可tā他gāng刚zǒu jìn走近，nián qīng rén年轻人tū rán突然zhuǎn转guò shēn过身，cóng从dì shàng地上jiǎn捡qǐ起bàn kuài半块zhuān tóu砖头，yǎn jīng眼睛tōng hóng通红，chōng冲tā他dà hǎn大喊：“bié别guò lái过来！”

But just as he approached, the young man suddenly turned around, picked up half a brick from the ground, and shouted at him with bloodshot eyes, “Don’t come any closer!”

lǎo wáng老王yī xià zi一下子lèng zhù愣住le了。

Old Wang froze.

bù guò不过shì是liǎng píng两瓶jiǔ酒，jǐ shí几十kuài块qián钱，tā他cóng lái从来méi没xiǎng想guò过shì qíng事情huì会biàn chéng变成zhè yàng这样。

It was only two bottles of liquor, worth a few dozen yuan. He had never imagined that things would turn out like this.

hòu lái后来jǐng chá警察lái来le了，tīng听wán完jīng guò经过，duì对lǎo wáng老王shuō说：“nín您méi没shòu shāng受伤jiù就hǎo好。xià cì下次bié别zhuī追dé得zhè me这么jǐn紧。bǎ把rén人bī逼dào到sǐ jiǎo死角，tā他hěn很kě néng可能huì会gǒu jí tiào qiáng狗急跳墙。”

Later, the police arrived. After hearing what had happened, one officer said to Old Wang, “It’s good that you weren’t hurt. Don’t chase someone so closely next time. If you drive a person into a dead end, they may very well become desperate and do something extreme.”

gǒu jí tiào qiáng狗急跳墙，zì miàn字面yì si意思shì是：gǒu狗bèi被zhuī追jí急le了，lián连píng shí平时tiào跳bù不guò qù过去de的qiáng墙yě也huì会pīn mìng拼命qù去tiào跳。

The literal meaning of “a cornered dog will jump over the wall” is that when a dog is chased into a desperate situation, it will desperately try to jump over even a wall it normally cannot get over.

yòng用zài在rén人shēn shàng身上，shì是shuō说yí gè rén一个人bèi被bī逼dé得zǒu tóu wú lù走投无路，jiù就huì会bù gù不顾hòu guǒ后果，zuò chū做出píng shí平时bù不gǎn敢zuò做de的jí duān极端shì qíng事情。

When used about a person, it means that someone who has been driven into a hopeless situation may disregard the consequences and do something extreme that they would not normally dare to do.

zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语yǒu有yì diǎn一点yào要zhù yì注意：tā它bǎ把rén人bǐ chéng比成gǒu狗，suǒ yǐ所以dài带zhe着míng xiǎn明显de的biǎn yì贬义。

There is one thing to note about this idiom: it compares a person to a dog, so it is clearly derogatory.

wǒ men我们yì bān一般yòng用tā它lái来shuō说huài rén坏人、duì shǒu对手，huò zhě或者zì jǐ自己kàn bù shàng看不上de的rén人。

We generally use it for bad people, opponents, or people we look down on.

bǐ rú比如，yí gè一个piàn zi骗子fā xiàn发现zì jǐ自己de的huǎng huà谎话kuài快bèi被jiē chuān揭穿le了，jiù就kāi shǐ开始wēi xié威胁zhī dào知道zhēn xiàng真相de的rén人，zhè shí hòu这时候jiù就kě yǐ可以shuō说：tā他zhè这shì是gǒu jí tiào qiáng狗急跳墙le了。

For example, if a swindler realizes that his lies are about to be exposed and starts threatening the people who know the truth, you can say, “He’s becoming desperate and doing something extreme.”

kě shì可是，rú guǒ如果nǐ你de的péng yǒu朋友zài在kùn nán困难zhōng中xiǎng想chū出le了yí gè一个dà dǎn大胆de的bàn fǎ办法，qiān wàn千万bié别shuō说tā他“gǒu jí tiào qiáng狗急跳墙”，nà那tīng qǐ lái听起来jiù就xiàng像zài在mà骂tā他。

However, if your friend comes up with a bold solution while facing difficulties, never say that he is “a cornered dog jumping over the wall.” It will sound like you are insulting him.

bù guò不过，jǐng chá警察nà那jù huà句话lǐ里，hái还cáng藏zhe着yī zhǒng一种hěn很shí jì实际de的zhì huì智慧。

Still, the police officer’s words also contained some very practical wisdom.

“xiǎo xīn小心tā他gǒu jí tiào qiáng狗急跳墙”，shuō说de的bù不zhǐ shì只是duì fāng对方yǒu有duō多wēi xiǎn危险，yě也shì是zài在tí xǐng提醒zhuī追de的rén人：bié别bǎ把duì fāng对方bī逼dé得yì diǎn一点tuì lù退路dōu都méi yǒu没有。

“Be careful—he may become desperate” is not only saying how dangerous the other person might be; it is also reminding the person giving chase not to leave the other person with absolutely no way out.

nà tiān那天wǎn shàng晚上，rú guǒ如果xiàng zi巷子lìng另yī tóu一头yǒu有gè个chū kǒu出口，nián qīng rén年轻人dà gài大概huì会rēng xià扔下jiǔ酒táo zǒu逃走，lǎo wáng老王yě也jiù就bù yòng不用miàn duì面对nà kuài那块zhuān tóu砖头le了。

If there had been an exit at the other end of the alley that night, the young man probably would have dropped the liquor and run away, and Old Wang would not have had to face that brick.

hòu lái后来，lǎo wáng老王měi cì每次gēn跟lín jū邻居jiǎng讲qǐ起zhè这jiàn shì件事，zuì hòu最后zǒng总yào要jiā shàng加上yī jù一句：“liǎng píng两瓶jiǔ酒ér yǐ而已，xià huí下回ràng让tā他pǎo跑ba吧。”

Afterward, whenever Old Wang told his neighbors about the incident, he always ended by saying, “It was only two bottles of liquor. Next time, just let him run.”

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