狡兔三窟

Chinese

		crafty; cunning; sly	rabbit	three	cave; hole
trad. (狡兔三窟)		狡	兔	三	窟
simp. #(狡兔三窟)		狡	兔	三	窟
Literally: “a crafty rabbit has three burrows”.

Etymology

First attested in the Strategies of the Warring States, completed in the second century BC, as part of advice given by a retainer named Feng Xuan to his master Lord Mengchang (died 279 BC):

馮諼曰；「狡兔有三窟，僅得免其死耳。今君有一窟，未得高枕而臥也。請為君復鑿二窟。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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冯谖曰；「狡兔有三窟，仅得免其死耳。今君有一窟，未得高枕而卧也。请为君复凿二窟。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Zhanguo Ce, circa 5^th – 3^rd centuries BCE

Féng Xuān yuē; “jiǎo tù yǒu sān kū, jǐn dé miǎn qí sǐ ěr. Jīn jūn yǒu yī kū, wèi dé gāozhěn ér wò yě. Qǐng wèi jūn fù záo èr kū.” [Pinyin]

Feng Xuan said, "A crafty rabbit has three burrows, but even so it barely manages to escape death. As of now, my lord has one burrow. You cannot yet lie down on a pile of pillows and sleep. Please allow me to dig the two other burrows for you, my lord."

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): jiǎotùsānkū

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄠˇ ㄊㄨˋ ㄙㄢ ㄎㄨ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): gaau² tou³ saam¹ fat¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jiǎotùsānkū
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄠˇ ㄊㄨˋ ㄙㄢ ㄎㄨ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jiǎotùsanku
    • Wade–Giles: chiao³-tʻu⁴-san¹-kʻu¹
    • Yale: jyǎu-tù-sān-kū
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jeautuhsanku
    • Palladius: цзяотусаньку (czjaotusanʹku)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ tʰu⁵¹ sän⁵⁵ kʰu⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: gaau² tou³ saam¹ fat¹
    • Yale: gáau tou sāam fāt
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gaau² tou³ saam¹ fat⁷
    • Guangdong Romanization: gao² tou³ sam¹ fed¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kaːu̯³⁵ tʰou̯³³ saːm⁵⁵ fɐt̚⁵/

Idiom

狡兔三窟

1. (figurative) a crafty person has more than one hideout; a sly individual has more than one plan to fall back on