thousand-li steed; person of outstanding talent
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 5 examplesnoun
thousand-li steed; swift horse capable of traveling a thousand li in a day
literaryA horse of exceptional speed and stamina, a legendary breed. Often used in classical contexts.
Zhè这
pǐ匹
mǎ马
rì日
xíng行
qiān千
lǐ里
，
zhēn真
shì是
yī一
pǐ匹
nán难
dé得
de的
qiān千
lǐ里
mǎ马
。
This horse can travel a thousand li in a day; it is truly a rare thousand-li steed.
Zài在
gǔ古
dài代
，
yī一
pǐ匹
qiān千
lǐ里
mǎ马
shì是
jiāng将
jūn军
zuì最
bǎo宝
guì贵
de的
cái财
fù富
。
In ancient times, a thousand-li steed was a general's most treasured asset.
noun
a person of outstanding talent or ability; a genius
formalMetaphor for a person with exceptional talent, waiting to be discovered or properly utilized. A very common metaphor in Chinese culture.
Gōng公
sī司
yào要
fā发
zhǎn展
，
bì必
xū须
shàn善
yú于
fā发
xiàn现
hé和
péi培
yǎng养
qiān千
lǐ里
mǎ马
。
For a company to grow, it must be good at discovering and nurturing talented individuals (lit. thousand-li steeds).
Bó伯
lè乐
bù不
cháng常
yǒu有
，
ér而
qiān千
lǐ里
mǎ马
cháng常
yǒu有
。
A talent scout (Bole) is rare, but talented individuals (thousand-li steeds) are common.
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Tā他
shì是
wǒ我
men们
bù部
mén门
de的
qiān千
lǐ里
mǎ马
，
suǒ所
yǒu有
nán难
tí题
dào到
le了
tā他
shǒu手
lǐ里
dōu都
néng能
yíng迎
rèn刃
ér而
jiě解
。
He is the star talent in our department; all difficult problems are solved effortlessly by him.