📖 Meaning
Describes someone who is widely read, well-traveled, and possesses extensive knowledge across many fields. It emphasizes both breadth of learning and depth of experience, portraying a person of erudition and cultivated wisdom.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the 'Book of the Later Han' (《后汉书》), in the biography of Zhou Rong (周荣传). It praises Zhou Rong as a man who 'harbored ancient and modern knowledge in a casket' and was 'broad in learning and much informed,' having read all the classical texts including the 'Three Tombs' (《三坟》) and the 'Five Collections' (《五集》). The phrase was used to honor his unparalleled scholarly breadth and his mastery of both historical and contemporary works.
💡 Example Usage
这位老教授博物多闻，学生们都爱听他讲课。
This old professor is broad in knowledge and experience, and students all love listening to his lectures.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 博物多闻
- Pinyin: bó wù duō wén
- Literal Translation: broad, things, much, heard
- Category: Knowledge
- Characters: 4