| 虎毒不食子 |
hǔ dú bù shí zǐ |
a tiger, though cruel, will not devour its cubs (idiom) / even wild beasts look after their young |
| 虎 |
hǔ |
tiger / CL:只 |
| 毒 |
dú |
poison / to poison / poisonous / malicious / cruel / fierce / narcotics |
| 不 |
bù |
no; not so / (bound form) not; un- |
| 食 |
shí |
to eat / food / animal feed / eclipse |
| 食 |
sì |
to feed (a person or animal) |
| 子 |
zǐ |
son / child / seed / egg / small thing / 1st earthly branch: 11 p.m.–1 a.m., midnight, 11th solar month (7th December to 5th January), year of the rat / viscount, fourth of five orders of nobility 五等爵位 / ancient Chinese compass point: 0° (north) / subsidiary; subordinate; (prefix) sub- |
| 子 |
zi |
noun suffix, as in 椅子 "chair" |