📖 Meaning
Describes a person who is well-educated and courteous, possessing both cultural refinement and good manners. It signifies someone of cultivated character and proper upbringing.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom first appears in the Yuan Dynasty zaju play 'Feng Yulan' (《冯玉兰》) by an anonymous playwright. In the first act, the protagonist declares that as a person of learning and propriety, she must be respectful and discreet, and would never allow herself to be shamed or gossiped about. The phrase originally emphasized how education naturally leads to proper conduct, a Confucian ideal. Over time, it became a standard description for well-bred individuals, especially women in traditional contexts.
💡 Example Usage
她是一位知书达礼的好姑娘，深得长辈喜爱。
She is a well-educated and courteous young lady, deeply cherished by her elders.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 知书达礼
- Pinyin: zhī shū dá lǐ
- Literal Translation: know, books, understand, propriety
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4