きゅう
窮
そ
鼠
ねこ
猫
　
を
か
噛
　
む

expression

Proverb.
  1. a cornered rat will bite a cat, despair turns cowards courageous.

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

Contained Kanji Breakdown

hard up, destitute, suffer
キュウ　きわ.める　キョウ (9th, 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 (11th)
cat
ねこ　ビョウ (9th, N3)
dog(犬) variant
seedling, sapling, shoot
なえ　ミョウ　ビョウ (8th, 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)