📖 Meaning
Describes a person of outstanding ability and noble, uncorrupted temperament. It praises both intellectual brilliance and moral purity of character, suggesting the person's gifts are matched by an elevated, unsullied bearing.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from a letter written by the Tang dynasty scholar Han Yu to his friend the poet Meng Jiao (Meng Dongye). In the letter, Han Yu praised Meng Jiao for his extraordinary talent and pure temperament, noting that he walked the ancient path while living in the modern world. Despite owning no farmland, Meng Jiao sustained himself and served his parents with unfailing devotion. Han Yu's words commended Meng Jiao's diligence and noble character.
💡 Example Usage
先生才高气清，却甘守清贫，令人敬佩。
The gentleman is of outstanding talent and pure temperament, yet willingly embraces a life of simplicity, earning him deep admiration.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 才高气清
- Pinyin: cái gāo qì qīng
- Literal Translation: talent, high, temperament, pure
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4