CHENGYU
伯乐相马(bó lè xiàng mǎ)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- literary, approving
- Source:
- 唐·韩愈《杂说》
MEANING
- Literal
- Bole appraises horses
- Figurative meaning
- to recognize and select real talent
ORIGIN STORY
Bole was the legendary judge of horses of ancient China. Han Yu wrote: "Fine horses are common; a Bole is not." The phrase honors those with the eye to recognize true talent.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“a talent scout's eye”
EXAMPLES
好教练要会伯乐相马，发现好苗子。Hǎo jiàoliàn yào huì bó lè xiàng mǎ, fāxiàn hǎo miáozi.HSK6
A good coach must be a Bole among horses, spotting promising talent.
这次招聘就像伯乐相马，选出了最合适的人。Zhè cì zhāopìn jiù xiàng bó lè xiàng mǎ, xuǎn chū le zuì héshì de rén.HSK6
The hiring was Bole judging horses — they picked exactly the right person.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: Note the readings: 乐 is lè and 相 is xiàng (to appraise).
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
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TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01