远来的和尚会念经

遠來的和尚會念經

yuǎnláidehéshanghuìniànjīng

idiom

Meanings

1 the monk from afar is good at chanting sutras
2 outside experts are valued more than local talent
3 the grass is greener on the other side (regarding expertise)

Characters

(possessive/attributive)

(in 和尚: monk)

(in 和尚: monk)

to read aloud, recite

scripture, sutra

Examples

公司请了外国顾问，真是远来的和尚会念经。

Gōngsī qǐng le wàiguó gùwèn, zhēn shì yuǎn lái de héshang huì niàn jīng.

The company hired foreign consultants — truly, the monk from afar is the one who can chant the sutras.

远来的和尚会念经，本地的人才反而被忽视了。

Yuǎn lái de héshang huì niàn jīng, běndì de réncái fǎn'ér bèi hūshì le.

The faraway monk gets all the praise; local talent is overlooked instead.

Tips

culture

Often used cynically — when someone is paying premium for an outside expert who isn't actually better than the locals. Echoes the bias for foreign credentials in Chinese hiring, education, and corporate consulting.

usage

Sometimes shortened in writing to 远来的和尚 (the faraway monk). The full proverb makes the contrast with 'local talent' explicit.

Stroke Order

远 yuǎn

来 lái

的 de

和 hé

尚 shàng

会 huì

念 niàn

经 jīng