📖 Meaning
Refers to a person of outstanding talent and extensive scholarly learning. It describes someone who combines exceptional ability with deep, broad knowledge. Used to praise a scholar-official whose competence and erudition are equally remarkable.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from a Ming Dynasty text by the essayist Gui Youguang (归有光), specifically from his 'Responses to the Provincial Examination of the Jiajing Gengzi Year' (《嘉靖庚子科乡试对策》). In the passage, Gui writes that those who take up the brush at the opening of the examination are all figures of their generation possessing outstanding talent and abundant learning, who must have insights to broaden the sage emperor's mind. The phrase thus came to denote individuals distinguished by both high capability and great erudition.
💡 Example Usage
朝廷选官当以长材茂学为标准，方能造福百姓。
The court should select officials based on outstanding talent and extensive learning, so as to bring benefit to the people.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 长材茂学
- Pinyin: cháng cái mào xué
- Literal Translation: long talent, flourishing learning
- Category: Knowledge
- Characters: 4