📖 Meaning
Originally referring to the Southern Dynasties poet Jiang Yan, who lost his literary talent in his later years. It is used metaphorically to describe a writer or creative person whose inspiration and talent have dried up or declined.
📜 Origin Story
During the Southern Dynasties period, Jiang Yan (江淹) was renowned as a brilliant poet and prose writer in his youth. According to 'The History of the Southern Dynasties,' he once dreamed that a man named Guo Pu took back a five-colored brush from Jiang's chest. After this dream, Jiang's poems and essays no longer contained beautiful lines. People of the time said his talent had run out, coining the phrase 'Jiang Yan's talent is exhausted.' The story became a lasting metaphor for the decline of creative inspiration.
💡 Example Usage
这位作家近年作品质量明显下降，被人调侃已经江郎才尽了。
This author's recent works have noticeably declined in quality, prompting jokes that his literary talent has run dry.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 江郎才尽
- Pinyin: jiāng láng cái jìn
- Literal Translation: Jiang, scholar, talent, exhausted
- Category: Skill
- Characters: 4