吐哺握发 — “Spit out food and grasp one's hair”
吐哺握发 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be so eager to receive worthy visitors or recruit talented people that one would interrupt eating or washing one's hair to meet them; to show great earnestness in seeking out and honoring talent”. Literally, “Spit out food and grasp one's hair”.
吐哺握发 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 吐tǔ
- 哺bǔ
- 握wò
- 发fà
吐哺握发 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 吐哺握发
Origin and Story of 吐哺握发
During the Western Zhou Dynasty, King Cheng carried on his father's legacy by enfeoffing various lords. He appointed Bo Qin as the Marquis of Lu. The Duke of Zhou, Bo Qin's brother, congratulated him and offered advice.
The Duke reminded Bo Qin of his distinguished lineage, being the son of King Wen, brother of King Wu, and uncle of the current King Cheng. He urged Bo Qin to remember this and, most importantly, to value and recruit talented individuals with utmost sincerity.
He famously said, 'You must interrupt washing your hair three times during a single bath and spit out food three times during a single meal' (一沐三握发，一饭三吐哺), illustrating the dedication and urgency required to attract and honor capable people.
Idioms Related to 吐哺握发
Synonyms of 吐哺握发
More idioms starting with 吐
- tǔ吐sī丝zì自fù缚Caught in one's own web
- tǔ吐gāng刚rú茹róu柔bully the weak and fear the strong
- tǔ吐bǔ哺chuò辍xǐ洗show great courtesy to worthy scholars
- tǔ吐shǔ属bù不fán凡speak with unusual eloquence
- tǔ吐xīn心tǔ吐dǎn胆to bare one's soul
- tǔ吐gù故nà纳xīn新discard the old, absorb the new
- tǔ吐qì气yáng扬méi眉feel proud and elated
- tǔ吐zhū珠yú于zé泽，，shuí谁néng能bù不hán含Everyone contends for unguarded power
- tǔ吐gān肝lù露dǎn胆Speak frankly and sincerely
- tǔ吐dǎn胆qīng倾xīn心to bare one's heart
- tǔ吐shí食wò握fā发eagerly seek and attract talent
Questions about 吐哺握发
- What does 吐哺握发 mean?
- 吐哺握发 (tǔ bǔ wò fà) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be so eager to receive worthy visitors or recruit talented people that one would interrupt eating or washing one's hair to meet them; to show great earnestness in seeking out and honoring talent”.
- How do you pronounce 吐哺握发?
- 吐哺握发 is pronounced tǔ bǔ wò fà in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 吐哺握发 literally mean?
- Literally, 吐哺握发 means “Spit out food and grasp one's hair”. It is used to mean “to be so eager to receive worthy visitors or recruit talented people that one would interrupt eating or washing one's hair to meet them; to show great earnestness in seeking out and honoring talent”.
- Where does 吐哺握发 come from?
- 吐哺握发 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 吐哺握发?
- 哺：口吕咀嚼着的食物。吃饭时多次吐出口中的食物，洗头时多次把头发握在手中。比喻为了招揽人才而操心忙碌。