紙老虎

See also: 纸老虎

Chinese

An early attestation is in the Water Margin as 紙虎:

閒常時只如鳥嘴，賣弄殺好拳棒。急上場時，便沒些用，見箇紙虎，也嚇一交。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
闲常时只如鸟嘴，卖弄杀好拳棒。急上场时，便没些用，见个纸虎，也吓一交。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]
From: Shi Nai'an, Water Margin, circa 14^th century CE
Xiáncháng shí zhǐ rú diǎozuǐ, màinòng shāhǎo quánbàng. Jí shàngchǎng shí, biàn méi xiē yòng, jiàn gè zhǐhǔ, yě xià yījiāo. [Pinyin]
In fair times, you are a big talker and show off splendid martial art. In a pinch, you are so pathetic that in face of a paper tiger, you awkwardly fall into a fit of panic (the adulter hid under the bed, scolded for not dueling the chastiser)

		paper	tiger; tractor
trad. (紙老虎)		紙	老虎
simp. (纸老虎)		纸	老虎

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Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: zhǐlǎohǔ [Phonetic: zhǐláohǔ]
  - Zhuyin: ㄓˇ ㄌㄠˇ ㄏㄨˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: jhǐhlǎohǔ
  - Wade–Giles: chih³-lao³-hu³
  - Yale: jř-lǎu-hǔ
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jyylaohuu
  - Palladius: чжилаоху (čžilaoxu)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ xu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: zi² lou⁵ fu²
  - Yale: jí lóuh fú
  - Cantonese Pinyin: dzi² lou⁵ fu²
  - Guangdong Romanization: ji² lou⁵ fu²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siː³⁵ lou̯¹³ fuː³⁵/
Southern Min
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: zua² lao⁶ houn²
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tsuá lău hóuⁿ
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sua⁵²⁻³⁵ lau³⁵⁻¹¹ hõũ⁵²/

紙老虎