千里马

千里馬
qiānlǐmǎ
noun #66,411

Measure Word

Meanings

  1. 1 fine steed (literally 'thousand-mile horse')
  2. 2 person of exceptional talent
  3. 3 prodigy waiting to be discovered

Examples

HSK 3
Shì yǒu Bólè, ránhòu yǒu qiānlǐmǎ.
Only when a Bole exists in the world can a 'thousand-mile horse' be recognized.
HSK 6
Gōngsī lǐ qíshí yǒu bùshǎo qiānlǐmǎ, jiù quē shí cái de Bólè.
There are plenty of hidden talents in the company; what's missing is a Bole who can spot them.

Tips

history
From Han Yu's 韩愈 Tang-dynasty essay 马说: 世有伯乐,然后有千里马. A horse capable of running 1,000 li in a day is wasted unless someone like the legendary horse-judge Bole 伯乐 recognizes it. The phrase has become the standard metaphor for 'unrecognized talent'.

In Pop Culture

伯乐 Bólè
Bole
Legendary Spring-and-Autumn-period horse appraiser whose name became a metaphor for any mentor able to spot raw talent. Always invoked as the partner concept to 千里马.

Stroke Order

qiān