才高八斗
- Literal
- talent as high as eight dou (a peck-measure)
- Figurative
- Immensely gifted in letters; said of someone with extraordinary literary talent and a brilliance far above the ordinary.
Where does 才高八斗 come from?
The phrase comes from a boast by Xie Lingyun, a poet of the Eastern Jin dynasty and a great admirer of Cao Zhi (son of Cao Cao). Famed for his arrogance, Xie Lingyun used to say that if all the literary talent in the world amounted to one dan (ten dou), Cao Zhi alone would claim eight dou, he himself would take one dou, and the rest of humanity would share the last. From that hyperbole came “才高八斗”, used to praise Cao Zhi's literary genius and, by extension, anyone of immense gifts.
Source (出处): 《南史·谢灵运传》
How is 才高八斗 used? Two examples
- 他才高八斗，写的文章连老师都佩服。
He is immensely gifted; even the teacher admires the essays he writes.
- 大家都说她才高八斗，将来一定能成为作家。
Everyone says she is wonderfully gifted with words and is sure to become a writer one day.
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