虎

A pictographic character.

虎 originally depicts the physical form of a tiger:

The upper portion represents the tiger’s head and facial markings

The lower element 儿 represents the legs and tail, giving the impression of a standing animal

This makes 虎 one of the clearer animal pictographs in the Chinese script.

When used as a radical, the lower part is omitted, forming 虍, which appears in many characters related to fierceness, intimidation, or phonetic borrowing. In many such characters, 虍 functions primarily as a phonetic component rather than semantic.

虎 is widely used across classical and modern Sino-Korean vocabulary, often symbolizing strength, fearlessness, and danger.

Common compounds:

호랑이 (虎狼) — tiger (lit. “tiger and wolf”)

맹호 (猛虎) — fierce tiger

백호 (白虎) — white tiger (mythological guardian of the west)

호위 (虎威) — tiger’s might; intimidating power

호담 (虎膽) — tiger’s gall; bravery

Idiomatic expressions:

호랑이 굴에 가야 호랑이를 잡는다 — “To catch a tiger, one must enter the tiger’s den.”

여우 같은 지혜, 호랑이 같은 용맹 — cunning like a fox, brave like a tiger

In East Asian culture, 虎 is a supreme symbol of courage and authority.

In Korea especially, the tiger has long been regarded as a guardian spirit of mountains, a protector against evil, and a national symbol.

In folk belief and art, tigers often appear alongside magpies (까치호랑이), symbolizing moral satire, protection, and vigilance.

In classical philosophy and military texts, 虎 frequently symbolizes raw force, contrasted with strategic wisdom.

Related characters (power & ferocity):

狼 — wolf

豹 — leopard

猛 — fierce; violent

威 — authority; might

勇 — bravery

Among animal symbols, 虎 represents direct, overwhelming strength, in contrast to 龍 (dragon), which symbolizes cosmic or transcendent power.

乕 — variant used primarily in Japanese sources

虍 — radical form (used in compounds, not standalone)