穷鼠啮狸 qióng shǔ niè lí

DEFINITIONS

  1. a desperate rat will bite the fox (idiom); the smallest worm will turn being trodden on

CHARACTERS

穷 qióng
HSK 4
poor, destitute, impoverished
鼠 shǔ
HSK 5
rat, mouse; KangXi radical 208
啮 niè bite, gnaw
狸 lí fox