尾大不掉

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Chinese

[edit]
tail
big; great; huge
big; great; huge; large; major; wide; deep; oldest; eldest; doctor
 
not; no to drop; to fall
simp. and trad.
(尾大不掉)

Etymology

[edit]

From Zuo Zhuan:

末大必折尾大不掉 [Classical Chinese, trad. and simp.]
From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4th century BCE
Mòdàbìzhé, wěidàbùdiào, jūn suǒ zhī yě. [Pinyin]
(please add an English translation of this usage example)

Pronunciation

[edit]

Idiom

[edit]

尾大不掉

  1. a subordinate becomes too powerful for their superior to control