盘龙卧虎

盤龍臥虎
pánlóngwòhǔ
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 coiled dragon and crouching tiger (idiom)
  2. 2 a place teeming with hidden talent
  3. 3 concealed extraordinary people

Examples

Zhège xiǎo gōngsī pánlóngwòhǔ, bùkě xiǎokàn.
This little company is full of hidden talent — don't underestimate it.
Běijīng Zhōngguāncūn pánlóngwòhǔ, réncái jǐjǐ.
Beijing's Zhongguancun district is a den of hidden talent, brimming with capable people.

Tips

usage
Image: a dragon coiled out of sight and a tiger crouching low — both are powerful but unseen. Use it to compliment a place (a school, company, neighborhood) for housing impressive but unshowy people. Sister idiom: (cánglóng-wòhǔ), which is more common.
memory
= coiled, = dragon, = lying low, = tiger. Two of China's most-feared beasts both deliberately hidden — the talent is real, just not advertised.

Stroke Order

pán
lóng