泰山不让土壤 — “Mount Tai does not refuse even small pieces of soil”

泰山不让土壤 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Mount Tai does not refuse even small pieces of soil”. Which is why it can reach such immense heights. This idiom metaphorically describes a person who is broad-minded, magnanimous, and inclusive, capable of embracing different people, ideas, or things. Literally, “Mount Tai does not reject any soil”.

Frequency

泰山不让土壤 Pronunciation and Pinyin

泰山不让土壤 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
泰	tài	10	peaceful, prosperous, great
山	shān	3	mountain or hill
不	bù	4	not
让	ràng	5	allow or give way
土	tǔ	3	soil, earth, land
壤	rǎng	20	soft loose soil

Example Sentence with 泰山不让土壤

一位真正有远见的领导者，会像泰山不让土壤一样，吸纳各方意见和人才，才能成就一番事业。

A truly visionary leader, like Mount Tai that does not reject any soil, will embrace diverse opinions and talents to achieve great things.

Origin and Story of 泰山不让土壤

During the Warring States period, King Ying Zheng of Qin resented Lu Buwei's autocratic power. He sought ways to marginalize Lu Buwei, who, fearing retribution, committed suicide.

Ying Zheng then dismissed all of Lu Buwei's retainers. Li Si, one of Lu Buwei's former retainers, submitted a memorial to Ying Zheng, stating: "Therefore, Mount Tai does not reject any soil, hence its immense size; the rivers and seas do not refuse any small streams, hence their profound depth; a king does not reject the common people, hence his bright virtue."

Ying Zheng was persuaded and consequently retained Li Si's services.