📖 Meaning
To love and value talented people as urgently as one craves water when thirsty. It describes a leader or person who eagerly seeks out and cherishes capable individuals, treating the pursuit of talent as a pressing personal need.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase comes from the Qing dynasty scholar Ye Xie's work 'Yuan Shi' (Original Poetry), where he characterized the Tang dynasty literary master Han Yu as someone who 'hated evil sternly and loved talent as if thirsty.' Ye Xie used this description to capture Han Yu's moral character and his passionate attitude toward discovering and promoting worthy people. The expression has since become a common way to praise those who genuinely value and seek out talent.
💡 Example Usage
这位总经理爱才若渴，亲自到各大高校物色优秀毕业生。
The CEO loves talent as if thirsty, personally visiting major universities to recruit outstanding graduates.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 爱才若渴
- Pinyin: ài cái ruò kě
- Literal Translation: love, talent, as if, thirsty
- Category: Leadership
- Characters: 4