初生牛犊不怕虎 — “Like a newborn calf unafraid of a tiger”

初生牛犊不怕虎 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Like a newborn calf unafraid of a tiger”. This idiom describes young people who are often bold, fearless, and dare to act, primarily due to their inexperience and lack of apprehension about potential difficulties or dangers. Literally, “A newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger”.

Frequency

初生牛犊不怕虎 Pronunciation and Pinyin

初生牛犊不怕虎 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
初	chū	8	initial beginning first
生	shēng	5	to be born, grow, or live
牛	niú	4	Ox, awesome, or stubborn
犊	dú	12	newborn calf, inexperienced person
不	bù	4	not
怕	pà	8	fear, be afraid of
虎	hǔ	8	Tiger; brave; intimidate

Example Sentence with 初生牛犊不怕虎

新来的项目组成员虽然缺乏经验，但初生牛犊不怕虎，主动承担了最困难的任务。

The new project team member, though lacking experience, was like a newborn calf unafraid of a tiger, and proactively took on the most difficult task.

Origin and Story of 初生牛犊不怕虎

During the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Liu Bei seized Hanzhong from Cao Cao and declared himself king. He ordered his general Guan Yu to launch an offensive to the north, targeting Xiangyang and Fancheng. Guan Yu's subordinates, Liao Hua and Guan Ping, led their troops to attack Xiangyang, where they decisively defeated Cao Ren, a general under Cao Cao, forcing him to retreat to Fancheng.

Cao Cao then dispatched his general Yu Jin as the 'General who Conquers the South,' with the brave warrior Pang De as his vanguard, leading troops to relieve Fancheng. Pang De arrived at Fancheng with his vanguard, famously carrying a coffin at the head of his army to demonstrate his unwavering resolve to fight Guan Yu to the death. Pang De swaggered confidently, challenging Guan Yu to a duel. Guan Yu accepted, and they fought for over a hundred rounds without a clear victor. Both armies eventually withdrew.

Back at his camp, Guan Yu remarked to Guan Ping, 'Pang De's swordsmanship is truly skillful; he lives up to his reputation as a brave general of Cao Cao's forces.' Guan Ping replied, 'As the saying goes, "A newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger." We must not underestimate him!' This interaction highlighted the idiom's meaning, referring to the fearless and daring spirit.

Realizing that a direct confrontation might not easily defeat Pang De, Guan Yu conceived a strategy. It was then the season of continuous autumn rains, causing the Han River to swell dramatically. The Wei army's camps, unfortunately, were situated in low-lying areas. Guan Yu ordered his forces to breach the Han River embankment, unleashing a massive flood that engulfed Yu Jin's seven armies, leading to the capture of both Yu Jin and Pang De.

Yu Jin surrendered, but Pang De stood defiant, refusing to kneel or yield. Guan Yu attempted to persuade him to surrender, but Pang De vehemently cursed him. Consequently, Guan Yu ordered Pang De's execution.