藪をつついて蛇を出す

Japanese

Kanji in this term
藪 蛇 出
やぶ
Hyōgai 		へび
Grade: S 		だ
Grade: 1
kun'yomi
Alternative spellings
薮をつついて蛇を出す
薮を突いて蛇を出す

Etymology

Proverb consisting of 藪(やぶ) (yabu) + を (o) + つついて (tsutsuite, the conjunctive form of the verb 突(つつ)く (tsutsuku)) + 蛇(へび) (hebi) + を (o) + 出(だ)す (dasu), literally, “to poke the bush to let out the snake”.

Compare Chinese 打草驚蛇／打草惊蛇 (dǎcǎojīngshé)

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ja̠bɯ̟ o̞ t͡sɨt͡sɨite̞ he̞bʲi o̞ da̠sɨ]

Proverb

藪(やぶ)をつついて蛇(へび)を出(だ)す • (yabu o tsutsuite hebi o dasu) 

  1. (idiomatic) to stir up trouble for oneself, to stir up a hornets' nest

Derived terms

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