One Character, Many Meanings: The Power of 熊

What comes to mind when you hear the word "熊"(bear)? Is it a ferocious two-foot-tall beast, or a warm, cuddly teddy bear(泰迪熊)?

Recently, Japan has reported incidents in which bears, unable to find enough food in the wild, have moved toward residential areas, resulting in casualties. These reports are alarming.  As you may know, Taiwan has its own species of bear: the 台灣黑熊(Formosan black bear). It is the island's only endemic bear species. However, we rarely feel a genuine fear of being attacked by them because 台灣黑熊 is an endangered species.

In traditional Chinese culture, the 熊 is more than just an animal; it carries specific symbolic meanings. Today, let's take a closer look at the character "熊".

熊

You might be surprised to know that the 部首 of the "熊" is "火". The upper part of the character is "能", which, according to the 《說文解字．能部》：「能，熊屬，足似鹿。」("能” is a species of bear, with feet similar to a deer).  能 is a legendary creature that is depicted this way. Honestly, if my body were that heavy and my feet were that slender, I'd certainly be 火大(furious)!

In traditional culture, the image of the 熊 is associated with concepts such as power, ferocity, and fertility. It is even connected to emperors and tribal leaders.

According to legend, around 2200 BC, a great flood caused widespread devastation. At that time, the tribal leader, 大禹, transformed into a mighty bear. While others rested, he persevered with his arduous work of carving mountains, chiseling rocks, and dredging rivers. He later founded the 夏 dynasty (2070–1600 BCE), becoming a wise and benevolent emperor.

In addition to these cultural symbols and concepts, bear meat was also considered a precious ingredient, given that hunting a bear was both difficult and dangerous.

Now, let's examine the terms and phrases related to "熊".

1. 熊心豹子膽

熊心 bear's heart

豹子膽  leopard’s gallbladder

Both the bear and the leopard are ferocious animals. Traditional Chinese culture adheres to the principle of "以形補形," which suggests that consuming organs from plants or animals that resemble human organs can impart similar energy to the consumer. Therefore, people believed that eating the heart of a brave bear would make one's heart as courageous as the bear's. Similarly, consuming the gallbladder of a leopard was believed to make one as daring as the leopard.

This phrase is used to describe a person who is extraordinarily bold and has immense courage, daring to do what others wouldn't. The typical accompanying verb is "吃" (to eat).

• 哇~你吃了熊心豹子膽啊！竟然敢反駁老闆的決定。
  Wow! Did you eat a bear's heart and a leopard's gallbladder? How dare you contradict the boss!
  

2. 夢熊之喜、熊夢徵祥

夢熊之喜：Dream of the Bear, Sign of Joy.

熊夢徵祥：Bear Dream is Auspicious.

Ancient people believed that dreaming of a bear foretold the birth of a boy, one who would be as strong as a bear and capable of carrying the family's responsibilities. Consequently, both idioms are used to bless someone upon the birth of a son.

However, these phrases are rarely used in daily conversation today. They might occasionally be seen on traditional couplets or congratulatory inscriptions.

3. 虎背熊腰

虎背：tiger back

熊腰：bear waist

The idiom literally means having a back as broad as a tiger's and a waist as thick as a bear's. Originally, it was used to describe a man's robust, strong, and imposing physique.

However, the term is now often used to describe an undesirable physique. Saying someone has a "虎背熊腰" physique implies that they have a thick waistline and that the flesh on their back appears thick and flattened, perhaps due to slouching. In other words, it describes someone who exhibits a heavy set.

• 她穿了一件典雅的洋裝，但那洋裝完全無法修飾她的虎背熊腰，反而更凸顯她的粗壯。
  She wore an elegant dress, but it failed to hide her hunched posture and thick midsection. Instead, it highlighted her heavyset figure.
  

4. 魚與熊掌不可兼得

魚：fish

熊掌：bear's paw

The phrase comes from《孟子．告子上》.

「魚，我所欲也；熊掌，亦我所欲也。二者不可得兼，舍魚而取熊掌者也。」
"Fish is what I desire; bear's paw is also what I desire. If I cannot have both of them at the same time, I will sacrifice the fish and choose the bear's paw."

This ancient saying means that when two desirable things cannot be possessed simultaneously, one must know how to choose and prioritize.

• 魚與熊掌不可兼得，你自己選要吃蛋糕還是冰淇淋。
  You can't have both at the same time. You must choose one: cake or ice cream?

5. 熊熊

The term "熊熊" is an adjective used to describe intensely bright, extremely vigorous, and fierce flames.  It is actually unrelated to the animal "熊." 

It can be used as an independent adjective or combined with terms such as "大火" (fierce fire) or "烈火" (raging fire), or "怒火" (blazing anger).

• 當巨大的火炬被點燃，火焰在夜空中熊熊燃燒，祭典也在此時達到了高潮。
  When the giant torch was lit, the flames burned fiercely in the night sky, and the ceremony reached its climax at that very moment.

• 看到他把臭襪子隨便亂丟，我的內心頓時燃起熊熊怒火。
  
  Seeing him carelessly throw his dirty socks everywhere instantly ignited a blazing anger within me.
• 頓時(Instantly)：It’s used here to emphasize that the action or situation occurred in a very short amount of time
  

Thanks for reading! If you want to hear the correct pronunciation and intonation, don't forget to watch the video at the beginning of this post. See you next time!