📖 Meaning
A person who is both magnanimous in spirit and profoundly learned, able to connect knowledge across all fields and eras. The term praises those whose open-mindedness is matched by genuine scholarly breadth, making them wise judges of affairs.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from a Song dynasty essay by the poet Lu You (陆游), titled 'Yongxi Qingji Lao Shu' (雍煕请机老疏), a petition written for a Buddhist elder. In the text, Lu You calls upon esteemed officials and men of broad learning to jointly kindle the lamp of wisdom and cherish rare opportunities for spiritual connection. The expression '达士通人' was used to invoke the ideal audience—gentlemen whose intellectual breadth and open character qualified them to appreciate the appeal.
💡 Example Usage
这位老先生学贯中西，堪称达士通人。
This elderly gentleman has mastered both Chinese and Western learning, truly a man of open mind and broad scholarship.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 达士通人
- Pinyin: dá shì tōng rén
- Literal Translation: open-minded scholar, broadly versed person
- Category: Wisdom
- Characters: 4