兼收博采

jiān shōu bó cǎi
Literal: "simultaneously collect, broadly gather"

📖 Meaning

To gather and adopt from a wide range of sources without discrimination. It describes an inclusive approach of collecting useful material, ideas, or talent from various origins. A variant of the idiom 兼收并采.

📜 Origin Story

This idiom does not trace to a single classical text or historical anecdote. It is a variant of the more common expression 兼收并采, which itself reflects a long-standing Chinese intellectual tradition of synthesizing diverse schools of thought. The idea of broadly collecting and selectively adopting has roots in Han dynasty compilations and later imperial encyclopedia projects. No specific dynasty, author, or work is credited as its sole origin.

💡 Example Usage

编纂这部词典时,编者们兼收博采,力求全面收录各类用法。

When compiling this dictionary, the editors collected widely from many sources, striving to comprehensively include all types of usage.

🏷️ Category

➕ Similar Idioms

➖ Opposite Idioms

🔤 Quick Facts

  • Chinese: 兼收博采
  • Pinyin: jiān shōu bó cǎi
  • Literal Translation: simultaneously collect, broadly gather
  • Category: Method
  • Characters: 4