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養虎の患え (ようこのうれえ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

養虎ようこの患うれえ

Meanings

1

expression

rear a tiger and court disaster

proverb

Proverb warning that nurturing something dangerous will eventually bring harm to oneself.

悪あく人にんをかばうのは養よう虎この患うれえだ。
Protecting a villain is like rearing a tiger and courting disaster.

Kanji

養foster, bring up, rear
虎tiger, drunkard
患afflicted, disease, suffer from

Etymology

A classical Chinese-derived proverb (故事成語) literally meaning 'the calamity of raising a tiger.' The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it reflects a common cautionary theme in East Asian literature.