dǎ lǎohǔ: 打老虎 - To Beat the Tiger, To Crack Down on High-Level Corruption

• Keywords: dǎ lǎohǔ, 打老虎, da laohu, beat the tiger meaning, 打老虎 meaning, Chinese anti-corruption, Xi Jinping anti-corruption, tigers and flies China, high-level corruption Chinese, crack down on corrupt officials in Chinese
• Summary: Discover the meaning of dǎ lǎohǔ (打老虎), a powerful Chinese term that literally means “to beat a tiger.” While it can refer to a physical act, its modern significance comes from its use as a political slogan for China's massive anti-corruption campaign. Learn how this phrase, popularized by Xi Jinping, refers to the effort to take down powerful, high-ranking corrupt officials, known as “tigers,” and understand its crucial role in contemporary Chinese politics and society.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): dǎ lǎohǔ
• Part of Speech: Verb Phrase
• HSK Level: N/A
• Concise Definition: To crack down on high-level corrupt officials (figurative); to literally hit a tiger (literal).
• In a Nutshell: “Dǎ lǎohǔ” is a vivid metaphor used in modern China to describe the government's campaign against high-level corruption. The “tiger” (老虎) represents a powerful, senior official (“big fish”) who has abused their power. The act of “beating” (打) signifies the state's determination to investigate, prosecute, and remove them from power. While it has a literal meaning, you will almost always encounter it in its political, figurative sense.

• 打 (dǎ): To hit, strike, beat, or fight. The left part (扌) is the “hand” radical, indicating an action done with the hands.
• 老 (lǎo): Old, senior. Here, it acts as a common prefix for certain animals, and doesn't necessarily mean the tiger is old. It's part of the common word for tiger.
• 虎 (hǔ): Tiger. The character is a simplified pictogram of a tiger, emphasizing its striped pattern.
• The characters combine to literally mean “to hit a tiger.” In Chinese culture, the tiger is the king of beasts, symbolizing immense power and danger. Therefore, the act of “hitting a tiger” implies taking on a formidable and risky challenge, which is a fitting metaphor for confronting powerful, well-connected officials.

The phrase “打老虎” became a household term in China after 2012, when it became the cornerstone of President Xi Jinping's sweeping anti-corruption campaign. The campaign's full slogan is often stated as “老虎苍蝇一起打” (lǎohǔ cāngying yīqǐ dǎ), which means “hit tigers and flies together.”

• Tigers (老虎): High-ranking, powerful officials at the national or provincial level.
• Flies (苍蝇): Low-level, local officials engaged in petty corruption.

This duality is key. The campaign aimed to show that no one, regardless of their rank or connections, was above the law. To an English-speaking audience, this concept is similar to the political slogan “drain the swamp.” Both phrases are vivid, populist metaphors for rooting out entrenched corruption within the government. However, “dǎ lǎohǔ” is more specific in its imagery. While “draining the swamp” suggests cleaning up a corrupt system or environment, “dǎ lǎohǔ” focuses on targeting and taking down specific, powerful individuals—the “kingpins” or “big bosses.” This reflects a cultural emphasis on holding powerful figures accountable as a warning to others.

This term is primarily used in formal and semi-formal contexts, especially when discussing news, politics, and social issues.

• In the News: Media reports about the anti-corruption campaign will frequently use “打老虎” to describe the investigation or downfall of a senior official.
• In Conversation: People might use it to discuss a recent political scandal or to express their approval (or cynicism) about the government's efforts. For example, “They caught another big one, the 'dǎ lǎohǔ' campaign is still going strong.”
• Connotation: The phrase itself is neutral but describes a serious and often severe action. For the general public, the campaign it represents is often viewed positively as a necessary cleansing of the government.

• Example 1: (Figurative - General Policy)
  • 中国政府决心继续打老虎，清除腐败。
  • Pinyin: Zhōngguó zhèngfǔ juéxīn jìxù dǎ lǎohǔ, qīngchú fǔbài.
  • English: The Chinese government is determined to continue to “beat the tigers” and eliminate corruption.
  • Analysis: This is a typical, formal sentence you might read in a news article, stating the government's official policy.
• Example 2: (Figurative - News Headline)
  • 今年以来，已经有好几个“大老虎”落马了。
  • Pinyin: Jīnnián yǐlái, yǐjīng yǒu hǎo jǐ ge “dà lǎohǔ” luòmǎ le.
  • English: Since the beginning of this year, several “big tigers” have been brought down.
  • Analysis: The term “大老虎” (dà lǎohǔ - big tiger) is used to emphasize a particularly high-ranking official. “落马” (luòmǎ - to fall from a horse) is a common metaphor for an official losing their position.
• Example 3: (Figurative - Conversation)
  • 你看新闻了吗？最近的打老虎行动又抓了一位省长。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ kàn xīnwén le ma? Zuìjìn de dǎ lǎohǔ xíngdòng yòu zhuāle yī wèi shěngzhǎng.
  • English: Did you see the news? The recent “tiger-beating” operation caught another provincial governor.
  • Analysis: This shows how the term is used in everyday conversation when discussing current events. “行动” (xíngdòng) means operation or action.
• Example 4: (Figurative - With “Flies”)
  • 这次反腐运动是“老虎苍蝇一起打”，谁也跑不了。
  • Pinyin: Zhè cì fǎnfǔ yùndòng shì “lǎohǔ cāngying yīqǐ dǎ”, shéi yě pǎo bu liǎo.
  • English: This anti-corruption campaign is about “hitting tigers and flies together,” no one can escape.
  • Analysis: This example includes the full, famous slogan, emphasizing the comprehensive nature of the campaign.
• Example 5: (Figurative - Expressing Public Opinion)
  • 老百姓都支持打老虎，因为大家最恨贪官。
  • Pinyin: Lǎobǎixìng dōu zhīchí dǎ lǎohǔ, yīnwèi dàjiā zuì hèn tānguān.
  • English: The common people all support “beating the tigers” because everyone hates corrupt officials the most.
  • Analysis: This sentence illustrates the public sentiment often associated with the campaign.
• Example 6: (Figurative - A Question)
  • 你觉得下一个被打的“老虎”会是谁？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ juéde xià yī ge bèi dǎ de “lǎohǔ” huì shì shéi?
  • English: Who do you think the next “tiger” to be beaten will be?
  • Analysis: The passive structure “被-打” (bèi dǎ - to be beaten) is very common when discussing the targets of the campaign.
• Example 7: (Figurative - Economic Impact)
  • 打老虎对高端消费市场有很大的影响。
  • Pinyin: Dǎ lǎohǔ duì gāoduān xiāofèi shìchǎng yǒu hěn dà de yǐngxiǎng.
  • English: “Beating the tigers” has had a big impact on the luxury goods market.
  • Analysis: This shows the broader, real-world consequences of the campaign, which curtailed lavish spending by officials.
• Example 8: (Figurative - Metaphorical Extension)
  • 我们公司也要打老虎，把那些不干活还拿高薪的经理给开了。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen gōngsī yě yào dǎ lǎohǔ, bǎ nàxiē bù gànhuó hái ná gāoxīn de jīnglǐ gěi kāi le.
  • English: Our company also needs to “beat some tigers,” firing those managers who don't do any work but get high salaries.
  • Analysis: A less common, but possible, metaphorical extension of the term to a non-governmental context, like a corporate clean-up. This usage is informal.
• Example 9: (Figurative - Seriousness of the campaign)
  • 只要证据确凿，不管职位多高，中央都敢打老虎。
  • Pinyin: Zhǐyào zhèngjù quèzuò, bùguǎn zhíwèi duō gāo, zhōngyāng dōu gǎn dǎ lǎohǔ.
  • English: As long as the evidence is solid, the central government dares to “beat the tigers,” no matter how high their position is.
  • Analysis: This emphasizes the perceived resolve behind the campaign. “中央” (zhōngyāng) refers to the central government.
• Example 10: (Literal - Story Context)
  • 在古代故事里，英雄武松在景阳冈打老虎，非常勇敢。
  • Pinyin: Zài gǔdài gùshi lǐ, yīngxióng Wǔ Sōng zài Jǐngyáng Gāng dǎ lǎohǔ, fēicháng yǒnggǎn.
  • English: In the ancient story, the hero Wu Song was very brave for beating a tiger on Jingyang Ridge.
  • Analysis: This is one of the few contexts where you might see the literal meaning used, referencing the famous story from the classic novel Water Margin (水浒传).

• Figurative, Not Literal: The most common mistake is to interpret this literally. In 99% of modern contexts, “dǎ lǎohǔ” refers to the anti-corruption campaign, not to physically harming an animal. Using it literally outside of a historical or story-telling context would sound very strange.
• Not for Your Boss: Do not use “dǎ lǎohǔ” to refer to confronting your boss at work or any powerful person in a non-political, non-corruption context (with the rare exception of informal jokes like Example 8). The term is strongly tied to *corrupt officials*. Using it for a strict but honest manager would be a serious misapplication of the term.
• False Friend - “Tiger Mom”: Do not confuse “dǎ lǎohǔ” with the concept of a “Tiger Mom” (虎妈 - hǔ mā). While both use the tiger metaphor, “hǔ mā” refers to a strict style of parenting and has no political or anti-corruption meaning whatsoever. They are completely unrelated terms.

• 苍蝇 (cāngying): “Fly.” The counterpart to “tigers,” representing low-level, local corrupt officials. The goal is to catch both.
• 拍苍蝇 (pāi cāngying): “To swat flies.” The specific action of cracking down on low-level corruption.
• 反腐 (fǎnfǔ): “Anti-corruption.” The formal and general term for the movement that “dǎ lǎohǔ” is a part of.
• 贪官 (tānguān): “Corrupt official.” The target of the “dǎ lǎohǔ” campaign.
• 大老虎 (dà lǎohǔ): “Big tiger.” Used to refer to a particularly high-ranking and powerful official who has been caught.
• 老虎屁股摸不得 (lǎohǔ pìgu mō bude): “A tiger's backside cannot be touched.” A popular idiom meaning a powerful or short-tempered person cannot be offended or challenged. This idiom helps explain why “beating a tiger” is considered such a bold and significant act.