きゅう
窮
そ
鼠
ねこ
猫
　
を
か
噛
　
む

expression, Godan verb

Proverb.
  1. a cornered rat will bite a cat, despair gives courage to a coward.

Variations

Pronunciation Kanji Kana Is Common
きゅう
窮
そ
鼠
ねこ
猫
　
を
か
噛
　
む
 窮鼠猫を噛む きゅうそねこをかむ
きゅう
窮
そ
鼠
ねこ
猫
　
を
　
か
　
む
 窮鼠猫をかむ きゅうそねこをかむ
きゅう
窮
そ
鼠
　
ネ
　
コ
　
を
か
噛
　
む
 窮鼠ネコを噛む きゅうそねこをかむ
きゅう
窮
そ
鼠
　
ネ
　
コ
　
を
　
か
　
む
 窮鼠ネコをかむ きゅうそねこをかむ
　
きゅ
　
う
　
そ
ねこ
猫
　
を
　
か
　
む
 きゅうそ猫をかむ きゅうそねこをかむ

Contained Kanji Breakdown

hard up, destitute, suffer
キュウ　きわ.める　キョウ (Early High School, N1)
hole, aperture, slit
あな　ケツ　けな (6th, N1)
shaped crown, katakana u radical (no. 40)
ベン　メン (Kentei 1)
dot, tick or dot radical (no. 3)
チュ (Kentei 1)
wa-shaped crown radical (no. 14)
ベキ (Kentei 1)
eight, eight radical (no. 12)
ハチ　や　はっ (1st, N5)
body, self
キュウ　キョウ　み (Kentei 1)
somebody, person, one's station in life
シン　み (3rd)
month, moon
つき　ゲツ　ガツ (1st, N5)
rising stroke
katakana no radical (no. 4)
ヘツ　えい　よう (Kentei 1)
bow, bow (archery, violin)
ゆみ　キュウ　こ (2nd, N1)
rat, mouse, dark gray
ねずみ　ソ　ショ (Kentei Pre-1)
mortar
うす　キュウ　グ (Late High School)
cat
ねこ　ビョウ (Early High School, N3)
dog, (犬 variant)
seedling, sapling, shoot
なえ　ミョウ　ビョウ (Late Jr. High, N1)
grass, grass radical (no. 140)
rice field, rice paddy
た　デン　たん (1st, N4)
chew, bite, gnaw
か.む　コウ (Kentei Pre-1)
mouth
くち　コウ　ク (1st, N4)
tooth, cog
は　シ　よわい (3rd, N3)
stop, halt
と.まる　シ　どめ (2nd, N4)
divining, fortune-telling, divination or katakana to radical (no. 25)
ボク　うらな.う　うらない (Kentei Pre-1)
rice, USA, metre
ベイ　こめ　マイ (2nd, N3)
to divide
tree, wood
き　モク　こ- (1st, N5)
open box enclosure, open box radical (no. 17)
カン (Kentei 1)