握发吐哺 — “Bind up one's hair and spit out one's food (to attend to guests)”
握发吐哺 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to show great eagerness and sincerity in seeking out and attracting talented individuals, often by interrupting one's personal activities to attend to them; to be extremely attentive and respectful in recruiting capable people”. Literally, “bind up one's hair and spit out one's food (to attend to guests)”.
握发吐哺 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 握wò
- 发fà
- 吐tǔ
- 哺bǔ
握发吐哺 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 握发吐哺
Origin and Story of 握发吐哺
During the Western Zhou Dynasty, King Cheng carried on his father's legacy by enfeoffing various feudal lords. He appointed Bo Qin as the Marquis of Lu.
The Duke of Zhou, Bo Qin's brother, congratulated him and offered sincere advice. He said, 'You were once a renowned and capable figure in Lu. When you take office, do not forget your esteemed lineage as the son of King Wen, the brother of King Wu, and the uncle of the current King Cheng. You must be diligent in attracting and cherishing talent. Act as if you would tie up your hair three times during a single bath or spit out your food three times during a single meal to attend to worthy individuals. Only through such earnestness can you gather and retain the best minds.'
Idioms Related to 握发吐哺
Synonyms of 握发吐哺
More idioms starting with 握
- wò握yún云ná拿wù雾Skillfully control complex, fluid situations
- wò握yún云xié携yǔ雨intimacy between man and woman
- wò握fā发tǔ吐sūn飧eagerly seek and attract talent
- wò握fā发tǔ吐cān餐eagerly welcome talented individuals
- wò握tú图lín临yǔ宇Command a vast domain
- wò握shǒu手chéng成jiāo交shake hands and close a deal
- wò握shǒu手jí极huān欢shake hands with extreme joy
- wò握shǒu手yán言huān欢shake hands and make peace
- wò握quán拳tòu透zhǎng掌clench fists in extreme indignation
- wò握quán拳tòu透zhǎo爪clench fists in extreme rage
- wò握qiàn椠huái怀qiān铅diligently engaged in scholarly writing
- wò握mù沐tǔ吐cān餐eagerly seek out and receive talented individuals
Questions about 握发吐哺
- What does 握发吐哺 mean?
- 握发吐哺 (wò fà tǔ bǔ) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to show great eagerness and sincerity in seeking out and attracting talented individuals, often by interrupting one's personal activities to attend to them; to be extremely attentive and respectful in recruiting capable people”.
- How do you pronounce 握发吐哺?
- 握发吐哺 is pronounced wò fà tǔ bǔ in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 握发吐哺 literally mean?
- Literally, 握发吐哺 means “bind up one's hair and spit out one's food (to attend to guests)”. It is used to mean “to show great eagerness and sincerity in seeking out and attracting talented individuals, often by interrupting one's personal activities to attend to them; to be extremely attentive and respectful in recruiting capable people”.
- Where does 握发吐哺 come from?
- 握发吐哺 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 握发吐哺?
- 比喻为国家礼贤下士，殷切求才。