Origin

The character 虎 combines two components to represent a tiger. The top part 虍 looks like a tiger's head or striped pattern, while the bottom part 儿 suggests the animal's legs or body stance. Together, these elements create a picture-like impression of a four-legged beast. Over time, the shape became more abstract and stylized into the modern character, but it still carries the meaning of this powerful and recognizable animal. The secondary meaning of "drunkard" likely comes from figurative usage, since a drunk person's behavior might be compared to a wild tiger.

AI-generated (claude-haiku-4-5), not yet reviewed. Formation type (automated guess): Compound ideographic (combined meanings).