狡兔三窟

jiǎotùsānkū
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 a crafty rabbit has three burrows
  2. 2 have multiple hideouts or fallback plans
  3. 3 always keep an escape route

Examples

Tā zài hǎo jǐ gè guójiā dōu yǒu fángzi, zhēnshì jiǎo tù sān kū.
He owns houses in several countries — a truly crafty fellow with many hideouts.
Zuò shēngyì yào jiǎo tù sān kū, bùnéng bǎ jīdàn fàng zài yí gè lánzi lǐ.
In business you need multiple backup plans — don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Tips

history
From 《战国·》 (Strategies of the Warring States), where retainer Feng Xuan advises Lord Mengchang of Qi that a clever rabbit has three burrows and so should a wise ruler maintain multiple safeguards against political disaster.

Stroke Order

jiǎo
sān