投鼠忌器 (tóu shǔ jì qì) — Hesitating to throw at a rat for fear of breaking the vase. 'Tou' means to throw; 'ji' means to fear, have reservations. Wanting to throw something at a rat but fearing damage to nearby objects. A metaphor for having reservations about doing something and not daring to act freely.

Hanzirama — Most Popular · Idioms · HSK 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7-9 · About投鼠忌器 (tóu shǔ jì qì)Hesitating to throw at a rat for fear of breaking the vase. 'Tou' means to throw; 'ji' means to fear, have reservations. Wanting to throw something at a rat but fearing damage to nearby objects. A metaphor for having reservations about doing something and not daring to act freely.Characters

Example Sentences

他投鼠忌器，不敢下手。 — He feared collateral damage and didn't dare act.

警方投鼠忌器，暂未行动。 — The police held back for fear of harming bystanders and haven't acted yet.

歹徒挟持了人质，警方投鼠忌器不敢开枪。 — The criminal took a hostage, and the police feared collateral damage and didn't dare fire.

对方有强大的靠山，我们只能投鼠忌器。 — They have a powerful backer, so we can only hold back for fear of the consequences.

他虽然很想揭发对方的罪行，但投鼠忌器，担心会牵连到家人。 — Although he really wanted to expose their crimes, he feared collateral damage and worried it would implicate his family.