夹起尾巴 in English jia1 qi3 wei3 ba5 Meaning

Meanings

  • to tuck one's tail between one's legs
  • metaphorically to back down
  • in a humiliating situation

Simplified Characters

夹 起 尾 巴

Traditional Characters

夾 起 尾 巴

Pinyin

jia1 qi3 wei3 ba5

Literal

Literal explanation, with pronunciation and meaning of each character.

夹jia1to press from either side 起qi3to rise 尾wei3tail 巴ba1Ba state during Zhou dynasty (in east of modern Sichuan)